USRT travel update: “The Day After Tomorrow”

This all started as a good plan… a wire-to-wire road trip adventure taken entirely via the rails…Exchange Street in downtown Buffalo all the way to the Inwood station in Far Rockaway and points in between.

As things turned out, yesterday was a challenging travel day all around. Incredibly, we actually made it to the 9PM opening tipoff of the Big East finals at Madison Square Garden.

With winds whipping and a heavy rain falling, on Saturday we along with other family members headed out to Deer Park in Suffolk County to visit Pete’s cousin Sandy and her husband Paul, with baby due anytime now. Looking at the efficient and comprehensive route maps, we found that there was a Long Island Railroad Station right in town. So not only would we not have to drive all the way back to Inwood, but we would get the experience of another set of tracks and stations to explore as part of our travel adventure.

Things went downhill fast.

We got onto the train OK, but five stations later, in Hicksville, things came to a halt. At first they said the gates weren’t powering up, then they said there was debris blocking the tracks, as the minutes ticked away, we were then informed there was a fire in the control tower. It was now past 7PM; our dinner plans in Midtown were up in smoke and we had no idea when, or if, the train would get running anytime soon.

Pete became a man on a mission; after logging 14 basketball games in 5 days, witnessing all 16 teams in the Big East in action, he would move Heaven and Earth to get us to the Garden in time for the game.

On the phone he went, calling his dad in Horseheads, getting his family on the horn eastward in Deer Park, and they got the numbers for cab companies in the Hicksville area for us to try.

At the Hicksville Station it was a scene of chaos. Nothing running, stranded passengers, the rain was falling precipitously. We hunkered in a Dunkin Donuts across the street, where their lobby was quickly flooding and others packed the area just to get out of the horrible conditions.

Yes Pete managed to get us a cab; we waited a bit while the cabbie vainly tried to find 3 other passengers trying to get to Manhattan. Meanwhile, others approached the door, “Please take us to Jamaica” one lady implored. No dice, so with just us two passengers in tow, we waded through the blinding rain and wind and onto the expressway for the 40 mile cab ride into Midtown. Exiting the Queens-Midtown Tunnel was surreal. The streets were still pretty packed with cars and people, but with the horrific weather conditions, it was a mad dash to manage the elements, and I could only think of the movie “The Day After Tomorrow” a disaster flick involving a weather meltdown in New York which led to a deep freeze.

He got us there in time, in fact with a half hour to spare. Total cost? $117 plus tip…$140 total. Desperate times indeed.

The story does not end here.

Following the game, we’re back in the basement of Penn Station, checking the boards for our return home down the Far Rockaway line. Yes the LIRR got us as far as Valley Stream, six stations from our destination. Employees led us off the train and out of the station with flashlights, and from there we boarded a waiting bus.

A gregarious female driver warned us of what was to come. Downed power lines, trees blocking streets. No power. She maneuvered this massive bus down narrow streets in the pitch darkness. The damage and devastation was everywhere. And then the stations and the neighborhoods… Gibson, Hewlett, Woodmere, Cedarhurst and Lawrence, all well groomed and manicured towns sitting mostly in darkness, except for the cops and emergency vehicles blocking roads and diverting traffic.

We arrived at Inwood at 1:45AM, roughly an hour later than expected.

Oh, did we mention today we switch to Daylight Savings Time?

Ah, the romance of the rails.

So on this Sunday morning, we pack our bags, checking the MTA web site, only to learn of further delays and cancellations on the LIRR routes. Pete’s relatives are gearing up to drive us to any operable station that will get us into Penn Station for our 1;15PM Amtrak departure. The rain is still pounding heavily; we just hear a clap of thunder and sirens are now wailing in the distance. What will today bring?

OK… just settled. We’re going to ask Aunt Linda to drive us to the Lynbrook Station, about 8 miles away. Right next door to the train platform is a White Castle.

See? Maybe it won’t be such a bad day after all!

New York Life – stoopidest contest ever!

During our Ultimate Sports Road Trip travels we come across some really cool promotions and contests; then again we also see some that are downright ridiculous.

But the one here at the Big East tournament, sponsored by New York Life, is one of the dumbest ones we have ever witnessed. The sponsors ought to be ashamed of themselves.

Here’s how it works… contestants are chosen to come down on the court during a media timeout, and throw these three large dice shaped cube objects.

If all three land on the logo “New York Life”, the contestant wins $10,000.

If all three land on the same slogan, such as “164 years strong”, or “join our team”, the contestant wins a pair of tickets to the finals.

Any other outcome and the player goes him with the board game “Life”. In this day and age of X-Box, Playstation and millions of games online, who actually plays board games anymore!

Try playing with three dice and landing three of the same numbers. It is so statistically far fetched and hard to do.

So of course, this game is played at every session, twice in fact per session, and the contestants keep crapping out after throwing just two cubes. By Thursday the boos were raining down onto the court as soon as this nonsense was trucked out, that’s how ugly it got.

So lo and behold… what happens Friday night?

Both contestants win… $10,000. That’s right, 10,000 smackers handed out twice.

How did it happen? We have no idea. In the first game they didn’t even train the camera on the cubes. The guy hit two of who knows what, and the announcer screeches, “just one more and you win $10,000!” The contestant tosses the third cube, has a dazed look for a moment and then PA guy yells, “that’s it! You win!” Out comes New York Life CEO with this giant replica check and it’s all smiles.

At the nightcap, the contestant throws a cube which misfires and it rolls almost off of the court. He throws a second one and a third, then the intern collects all the cubes. But then the contestant throws a FOURTH cube. Intern guy collects two of them, and in the confusion PA Guy yells, “You WIN!”. Again, out comes bald fat CEO guy with the check. WTF just happened here!!!

Memo to New York Life and to the Big East… you clowns are a disgrace!

P.S… Another contest, a free throw shooting exhibition, delivered a prize of a “one year supply of Reese’s Peanut Butter cups”. Oh great! By March of ‘11 I’ll weigh 500 pounds, be in a diabetic coma and my teeth will have rotted out. Who comes up with this shit!!!

12 basketball games in less than 60 hours….

Yep, forgot the digital camera so I’m going with the old Iphone

Yep, if that doesn’t certify me with having a bonafide case of March Madness then I don’t know what does. Right?

The routine has been as follows in the previous three days:

10:20am – Leave extended family compound in Inwood to catch 10:40 train into Penn Station with transfer at Jamaica. Train arrives at about 11:35am. Walk upstairs to catch basketball doubleheader tipping off at a few minutes after twelve noon.

4:30-4:45ish – doubleheader ends and out into the street I go to find some eats. In Manhattan this is no issue, unlike downtown Buffalo during the break between sessions at the NCAA first round. Head back towards arena at about 6:30ish.

7pm – tipoff of evening basketball doubleheader. Games end at about 11:30 – 11:45ish, then head down underneath Madison Square Garden to Penn Station to catch train back to Inwood.

1:09am -train arrives in Inwood, 10-15 minute walks back to family compound.

Somewhere in there I’m sleeping afterwards and having time to prep myself for the day that follows. What I haven’t had time for is to blog about what’s gone on since I left Buffalo to do the last….ummm…”road” trip adventure. So without further ado, I throw together a bit of a summary of the days that have been since Monday morning.

AMTRAK? WHO’S STINKING IDEA WAS THIS? OH YEAH, MINE….

The ride into Penn Station turned out to be another travel disaster for me. The ride was going very well from Buffalo to Albany, a pleasant and scenic ride down on the rails. It was a relaxing journey that gave me a different look at the towns and villages of upstate New York. It was as if I took a ride into our past to a time when the rail was the main mode of transport between cities, and how the towns centered around the rail system and not the highways like today.

But after we made the turn south from Albany it was all downhill. The train was constantly losing electrical power and would have to start and stop constantly to re-energize itself. For anyone who has had car troubles, imagine having a dying battery or alternator issue where the car is about to lose all its juice and stall. You milk the car along here and there, stopping occasionally to keep juice in the system, until eventually it stalls and you’re out of luck.

For the train, it died just north of the Tappan Zee Bridge, and after various delays in getting machinery to tow the train southward we were able to pull into Penn Station at about 12:30am about three hours after scheduled arrival time. Then the wait for the LIRR leaving at 1:11am, and I was at my destination at about 2:15…..roughly thirteen hours after departure at the Exchange Street Station in Buffalo.

Moral of the story: Trains are cool. Just never take one on a route named “Maple Leaf”, I should have known I was in trouble then.

THREE DAYS OF QUADRUPLEHEADERS? ARE YOU NUTS!!!

We’re the Ultimate Sports Rail Trip….are you seriously asking this question? A bit of an awards show of the highs, lows, ins and out of the time spent in and out of the Garden.

Best game: Seton Hall 109, Providence 106. A Big East Tournament record for point in a game that ended in regulation and a near miracle comeback for the Friars. Trailing by 29 with less than fourteen minutes to go, the Friars started to chip away at the lead. Seton Hall got in some foul trouble, sat some players and foolishly wasted time outs while still with a big lead. As the lead was cut to single digits the Garden crowd began to shift its energies behing the Friars….nine points….seven……five……down to three with less than eight seconds to go! And when the Pirates missed both free throws at that time the venue was at a fever pitch and Providence had a chance to pull off a last shot to force overtime.

The shot missed badly, but I was left standing on my feet cheering the great game I had just witnessed. Honorable mention – West Virginia 54, Cincinnati 51. The only other game to get a post game ovation, and you sure can’t beat a crazy buzzer beating prayer of a three to win.

WHAT TO EAT…..WHAT TO EAT HERE….SO MANY OPTIONS.

White Castle was taken care of first, a rule when I’m in charge of eating options. Nathan’s famous hot dogs. A great deli – Manganero’s on 8th Ave a few blocks north of the Garden. And a soft pretzel from a street vendor was a must do.

As far as inside the Garden, St. Patty’s Day may not be until Wednesday but I already wolfed down a corned beef sandwich(no cabbage, for the good of those around me). Pricey at $12.50 each, welcome to New York!

And a steady supply of Coke to keep me from dehydrating/ going into withdrawals.

BIGGEST UPSETS

Obviously #1 is the win by Georgetown over Syracuse. Does this loss cost the Orange a top seed and maybe a trip to Buffalo next weekend….hmmm. Honorable mention: St. John’s hammering UConn on Tuesday and nearly taking out Marquette in day two. They were this close to sending two teams to the NIT.

BEST FAN BASE(S)

Biggest: Syracuse -plenty of Orange for yesterday’s opener in the joint, combined with the Georgetown fans created the liveliest atmosphere of any game at the tournament. I sense that prices for tickets on the street went down a bit following their loss to the Hoyas. Honorable mention – West Virginia.

I have to mention the ultra awesome uniforms that the Louisville band wore. They bore a strong resemblance to hockey jerseys with a white backdrop and red logo in front and back and red across the shoulders.

Just seeing fans of sixteen different clubs….even the token few from DePaul and South Florida was a great scene.

OTHER RANDOM THOUGHTS WITHOUT RHYME OR REASON….

Through the first twelve games the hgher seed has won six times and the lower seed has won six times.

The entire tournament is sold out, but the sessions from Tuesday and into Wednesday afternoon were at best half full.

The national pundits seem to have the Big East for eight bids to the field of sixty five. None of the bubble teams (UConn, Seton Hall, South Florida…) were able to notch wins over the higher seeded teams that could have helped they’re cause. In fact, it was teams like Marquette and Notre Dame that solidified their case to be in the field with wins over Villanova and Pitt on a day when three of the top four seeds fell.

-pjf

The USRT goes retro this week to Madison Square Garden.

There once was a time. A time when society moved people primarily by sea and by rail, a time when sports like boxing and horse racing were big deals. When baseball was truly America’s favorite game.

And during that time college basketball was king at Madison Square Garden. In an age when the Knicks were in their infancy and the Rangers were beginning a long Stanley Cup drought, the sport of big time college hoops was a marquee event with multiple doubleheaders throughout the season bringing in the best teams from around the country(by train in those days) to take on the best New York had to offer. NYU, Manhattan, LIU, CCNY, and St. John’s were all New York schools that were considered to be major players of the sport back then.

And it would all cumulate in the National Invitation Tournament, then the preeminent postseason basketball tournament that would be played in its entirety at the Garden. For fans of this sport, there was no better place to be than New York at the time.

Years have passed, the NIT is a shell of its former self, and Garden college hoops isn’t close to what it used to be. The city’s only remaining big time college hoops school – St. John’s – has struggled like never before this past decade and rarely does a college hoops game at the Garden elicit a big response from the national sports scene anymore.

Save for a few days in March when the Big East holds its annual postseason tournament. For five days, the conference’s sixteen teams duke it out for a bid in the NCAA Tournament. Sure, with the Big East being a power conference there are going to be many (perhaps eight or more teams) heading into the field of sixty five from this tournament anyway. But for this one week, the Garden’s image as a college basketball mecca returns reminding many of its glory days with several matchups featuring teams ranked among the nation’s elite.

So today, off I go to New York(Andrew joins me during the second round on Wednesday) in a style that is unprecedented in USRT history. To mark the time of the Garden’s hoops heyday (and because it’s something we haven’t done before) we’re heading out by train from Buffalo’s Exchange Street Station and taking the Maple Leaf to Penn Station in New York City. Then it’s out to Nassau County via Long Island Railroad to our accomodations. And from Tuesday to Saturday it will be nothing but hoops! Quadrupleheaders at the Garden for three days straight on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, with the semifinal doubleheader on Friday night and the Championship game on Saturday evening. Then it’s back to Buffalo via Amtrak on Sunday.

For a look at the Big East Conference tournament bracket click here.

Other items of note:

Our road trip warrior friend Gary Herman(half of the GATK duo) of New York has found a little time between work and going to 400 sporting events in a year to put together his own sports travel blog. Check it out here! Yep, there are people nuttier than we are.

Steenhuis, Montour lead Buffalo Bandits to huge win

It was clearly the most emotional game of the season. And the most physical. With the season on the line, the Buffalo Bandits dug deep inside of themselves tonight at HSBC Arena, taking on the Orlando Titans, one of the league leading teams. When it was all over, the Bandits had themselves a 12-10 win, before 16,194 very happy fans.

This one was all Bandits early on, and Mark Steenhuis opened the scoring early. In fact, his natural hat trick to make it 3-0 had the fans on their feet in the first quarter, Steenhuis would end up with 10 points on 6 goals and 4 assists to lead all scoring.

Buffalo continued to pour it on in the second quarter. Power play goals on a 5 minute major by Steenhuis and Kyle Clancy gave Buffalo a 6-2 lead. It was 8-2 before Orlando answered, and the Bandits went to the dressing room at halftime with a five goal cushion.

But this game would turn out to be a costly one in terms of injuries. Early in the second quarter Orlando’s Chet Konecny and Buffalo’s Kyle Schmelzle traded punches, with Schmelze ending up with a broken nose. He was taken to the hospital for further observation. Then later in the quarter, Rory Smith gave Buffalo’s Steve Priolo the business with yet another fight, and Priolo suffered a concussion and would not return. Chris Corbeil also left the game with an injury, and the Bandits were three men short on the bench as the second half began.

That’s when Orlando made it interesting. With Buffalo working with a short bench, the Titans scored three straight goals in the third to make it an 8-6 game. But just like Buffalo had watched their opponents score timely goals just when they were making a run in recent games, this time it was the Bandits’ turn. Steenhuis scored his 6th of the night late in the third quarter.

In the 4th quarter Orlando’s Pat Maddelena scored what was one of the more unusual goals one would ever want to see. The Bandits net was off its moorings and laying at least 6 feet from its position, leaving goaltender Ken Montour to defend the space where the goal mouth was. Maddelena snuck the ball past Montour and into the goal area, and the referees arms went up to signal goal. “It’s an antiquated rule,” explained Coach Darris Kilgour. “Now once the net comes off the moorings they should blow the whistle, and I’m sure that’s a rule they will revisit real soon.”

A minute later John Tavares answered to give the Bandits another three goal cushion. Orlando scored a minute later, but then Kevin Dostie snuck behind the defenders and scored to give the Bandits their three goal lead again. Orlando’s potent attack would not let up, with Casy Powell scoring on the power play with 5 minutes to go to bring it within two.

Then Mike Accursi scored a huge goal off a rebound, and after video review it was shown that Accursi did not penetrate the crease and the goal stood. Orlando pulled the goalie with two minutes left but could only manage one goal. The Bandits won two huge possessions in the closing minute to seal this very big win.

Mark Steenhuis gave all the credit to his short staffed defense, as well as to Ken Montour, who made save after spectacular save to keep the Bandits in this one. “He made three or four miraculous saves in the fourth quarter alone,” said Steenhuis. “It was one of those wins that feels real good when its over.”

Coach Kilgour, who notched his 93rd win as Bandits coach, tying the record held by Les Bartley, was quick to pass out raise for his players. “It’s a really big win for us, and we held our composure and pulled it out. Ken was unbelievable, we were only running six defensemen, and when there were breakdowns Kenny made some huge saves for us. John (Tavares) and Brett (Bucktooth) played back door for us and they too deserve honorable mentions.”

Kyle Clancy was back in the lineup and Kilgour was happy with his play as well. “He makes great plays and makes everyone else look better. He’s very young and he’s got learning to do but he is doing a great job for us.

With all the injuries, Kilgour said the team will have to go out and get some new players. “Right now we’re looking to sign two or three players and figure out what we’re going to do next week. Right now I just want just savor this win and have a good time with the boys tonight.”

The Bandits will play three straight on the road, starting next Friday at the Air Canada Centre against the Toronto Rock. Buffalo is now at 3-6, while Toronto leads the division at 6-4. Game time is 7:30PM.

Coach Joe Crozier – Favorite Sabres’ Memories

I walked into the arena kind of late last night, just in time to hear all the hub bub going on down on the ice… the induction of Joe Crozier and Jim Lorentz into the Buffalo Sabres Hall of Fame.

And that got me thinking of my epic Joe Crozier memory, an image that is seared into my mind. I remember the occasion like it was yesterday.

April 10, 1973.

That was the date of Game 5 of the playoff series between the Buffalo Sabres and the Montreal Canadiens.

This city was just bonkers with Playoff Fever. The upstart Sabres were in the playoffs for the first time ever, but cold reality set in as the Montreal Canadiens bitch slapped Buffalo pretty efficiently in this series. The Sabres avoided the sweep in Game 4 with a convincing win at the Aud, setting the stage for an ugly end to Buffalo’s aspirations, on the ice at the Montreal Forum in Game 5.

I was just a kid, and our family had just moved from a rough area of the city into the ‘burbs the year previous. My parents were hard workers and hard savers, and finally, after all this time, we were going to partake in one of life’s indulgences – a brand new color television.

Yes, a color tv! We had a big change jar going for over a year which we all contributed to, aptly named ‘The Color TV Fund”, and when my folks got their tax refund check, I think around $150, that put us over the top. One evening we all piled into the car to Twin Fair to pick out this awesome, beautiful, RCA Victor 25” solid state television in a wood grained maple cabinet, and even equipped with a remote control. Yowza!

So back to that day. Twin Fair promised delivery by 6pm, so yes, we would have it in time to watch our beloved Buffalo Sabres in color for the first time.

The day came and went, and no delivery truck. By the time the dinner dishes were put away, my brother Taras and I were calling every half hour demanding to know where our TV was. The delivery guys finally showed up around 9, apologetic that they had gotten hung up. “You might want to leave that set off until the components get to room temperature, it’s been on the cold truck all day” the guy advised. Yeah right!

We fired up that puppy as soon as they left, just in time to watch the end of regulation. Incredibly, the Sabres and Habs were tied up at 2.

We wouldn’t have time to get the roof top antenna situated and configured, so during the intermission it was a frantic wiring job to get the old rabbit ears hooked up into the screws behind the set, string out the wires and jiggle them as best we could to get a decent picture.

Overtime. The screen was a bit sparkly, but those Sabres uniforms never looked so crisp and blue, and my parents, brother and I all sat in the living room to watch the extra frame unfold.

It didn’t take long. Just past the nine minute mark, Rene Robert fires a laser off the top of the circle that beats Ken Dryden to give Buffalo the win. Just like that the game was over. Taras and I were whooping and hollering we were so excited.

And on TV there was coach Joe Crozier, a look of total jubilation, literally sprinting across the ice and tackling Robert. Most coaches remain on the bench, stoic and expressionless in such situations, but not Crozier. I will never forget his face. It was one of those moments of my youth where I fell in love with this team, a love that endures to this day.

April 10, 1973… The Kulyks got their first color television set. The Sabres would be coming home for Game 6. All was right with the world.

Lessons for Canalside… Vancouver’s Granville Island

For Buffalo’s Canalside to be successful, there are templates and examples in other cities all over the place, and one of the success stories we stumbled upon is Vancouver’s Granville Island.

Until the 1970s Granville Island, located just south of downtown Vancouver on the south side of False Creek, was largely an industrial and manufacturing district. In the 1960s, the neighborhood went into decline, as factory after factory shuttered their doors or relocated. By the 1970s the federal government stepped in, gradually transforming the space into a more people friendly environment – parks, marinas, and locations for retail shopping.

The result has been a huge success – Granville Island is a major tourist draw and is also a hub for locals. Today one can find a massive public market as its anchor, combined with art galleries, craft stores, live theatres, a brewery and pub, boat builders, a school of art and design, a farmers market, all tied together with well designed public spaces, parkland and marinas.

There are still a couple installations left on the island from its bygone days as an industrial hub – a tool and die shop and a cement plant. So how do they deal with architectural synergies of such unpleasant industrial places with a seemingly vibrant mixed use? Easy! Just set up some decorative fencing in front of the factories, add some colorful glass showcases displaying how cement is made, or how tool and die is cast, and shazzam! Instant tourist attraction and photo opp location!

Street vendors and entertainers are also in abundance, adding to the color and vitality of the district. Several large gathering spaces allow for impromptu concerts or organized events, many offering sweeping vistas of the water and the Vancouver skyline.

The island, actually a peninsula, is easily accessible via water taxi, the newly opened Olympic Line trolley, automobile, and the Granville Street bridge soars high overhead to carry cars into downtown.

The initial public investment of $19-million today generates over $35-million annually in taxes. Yes you read that correctly. The island is still managed by a government authority, but most of the commerce and entities doing business there are privately run and doing quite well, thank you. It is a huge success story in Vancouver, and a pleasant place that one can go to again and again to shop, play and be entertained.

So what lessons can be gleaned from Granville Island as the developers of Buffalo’s Canalside put long awaited shovels into the ground this year for the next phase of our project?

-Provide a wide range of transportation options and ample parking, and people will come in droves. At Granville Island, water, rail and car offer easy access.

-Don’t allow the Skyway to be an impediment for development. Many call the Skyway ugly and clamor for its immediate dismantlement. Since that’s not happening anytime soon, make it a part of the design. Light up the support piers, and build underneath without fear and trepidation. Retail outlets are located in abundance underneath the Granville Street bridge. They are fine there.

-Not every building has to be an iconic gem, replicating Ye Olde Buffalo of the 1870’s. Yes I know, the architectural purists will howl (and file lawsuits), but at Granville Island, many of the buildings are little more than ordinary metal warehouse style buildings. Add colorful bunting, canopies, flags, and splashes of bright paint and it works great.

-Sell local products. Yes an Apple Store, Crate and Barrel and IKEA is everyone’s wet dream around here, but Granville Island’s biggest success is its public market, a cornucopia of over 50 installations selling food, bakeries, produce, concession stands, arts and crafts. The color and smells and sights are intoxicating.

-Plan for synergies in mixed use. Street vendors, buskers, a well planned mix of retail outlets serving locals and visiting tourists, smartly laid out public paths and gathering spaces, can spell the difference between success and disaster.

One thing that Granville Island does not have is a residential component, although thousands of homes, apartments and high rise condos are situated within a short distance. The ECHDC has repeatedly alluded to plans for residences as part of its mix. It would surely work here.

We know that the powers that be at the ECHDC get it. We need this community to rally behind the vision, imperfect though it might be. Let’s have our own success story, a la Granville Island, right here in Buffalo. Now.

Time to get shovels in the ground and cranes in the air. This year. Let’s Roll!

Memo to NYSDOT: Yes buildings under high bridges can work!

Nothing overly dramatic about the architecture, but the color and flair of the building accents work well.

Nice display right in front of the cement factory.

Mouthwatering treats and confections at one of the bakeries in the market.

This was our lunch stop at the market. No Polish ladies wearing babushkas behind the counter, but the potato and cheese pierogies (better known as “varenyky” to us Ukes), smothered in butter and fried onions, were as good as any you could find on Buffalo’s east side.

One of the public squares outside the market, with tables and chairs, an outside stage, and awesome views of downtown Vancouver.

The marina at Granville Island, as seen from the overhead bridge.

Profiling Everett’s Comcast Arena

No we didn’t forget about doing a write up on the Comcast Arena at Everett. This is the arena we visited on our recent Vancouver trip to see the Buffalo Bandits play the Washington Stealth.

Everett is a suburb, more like an ex-urb, of Seattle, Washington, located about 20 miles north of the city and right off of I-5. It’s downtown core consists of fashionable shops, bars, some housing, and in the center of it all is the Comcast Arena, an 8500 seat arena which opened in 2003.

The venue is primarily the home of the Everett Silvertips of the Western Hockey League, and now is also the home of the NLL Steath, who relocated here from San Jose after last season. Various incarnations of arena football teams have also come and departed since the arena opened.

Interesting to note that the Stealth is still very much off of the radar screen here in the Seattle area. Team officials have set the bar at selling out all the games (imagine 8500 fans – in Buffalo that would be a turnstile disaster), their opener drew over 5000, but the game we attended had only about 2500 in the stands. Despite the popularity of the product in our region of the world, this is still a hard sell in markets such as this one.

Comcast Arena is a bright and inviting venue… It’s signature roof mimics that of a suspension bridge, the entry pavilion is modern, and concourses here are wide and airy, with a wide open end zone viewing area complete with wine bar, concession stands and exhibits.

No we did not see the Silvertips play here, but nonetheless we are putting this in the WHL “done” category. Hey we make the rules here at USRT!

Recapping our Vancouver adventure

Vancouver was more than just OK; it was a fantastic Ultimate Sports Road Trip adventure, and one that exceeded our expectations. It’s just amazing how we sometimes throw these trips together, yet the experience never seems to get old and stale. Here are some of the tales from the trip, good and bad:

-Peter’s luggage takes a long journey: We toasted our good fortune that our plane trip went without any glitches, a rare USRT occurrence. Only to find out that Pete’s valise was still in Atlanta. Since we landed in Seattle, the challenge was not only to get the luggage out west, but then up to Vancouver. So the next day Delta hands off the luggage to Air Canada, and they transport the luggage to Vancouver. Meanwhile, we’re telling everyone at the Westin to look out for the delivery, the front desk, the concierge, the bell captain…everybody.

Come Friday, a courier delivers the valise to the Westin hotel. Westin turns it away, saying there is no “Peter Farrell” registered at the hotel. They make a second attempt later in the day, only this time the slip reads “Weston Hotel”. The bell captain turns the courier away again, explaining that they are the “Westin”, not the “Weston”.

We returned from Everett in the dead of night Friday night/Saturday AM, only to find still no luggage. At this point we had the meltdown at the front desk. The next morning, the luggage at long last showed up. Peter finally changed into fresh clothing, 54 hours after departing Buffalo.

-Bad weekend for Buffalo’s teams: We saw the Bandits play the Washington Stealth down in Everett, and two bad runs of Washington goals spelled curtains for our boys, who fell to 0-3, and are now at a franchise record low 0-4 for the year. Come Monday night, an ass hat no goal call by referee Kerry Fraser seals the Sabres fate as the Vancouver Canucks get a 3-2 win. In fact, the Sabres went winless the whole time we were on the trip. We caught the Sabres/Kings game at a sports bar near the hotel, and even that went poorly. Nope, not a good trip for Buffalo.

-Cheap travel, USRT style: R/T plane fare from BUF to SEA: $208. Car rental five days: $116. Westin Hotel five nights: ZERO (Starwood Points). Parking downtown: cdn$39 total (no small feat in Vancouver where parking runs anywhere from $24-$40 per DAY. Game tickets: ZERO. Three hockey games and one indoor lacrosse game and we were credentialed for all of them. Membership in the Professional Hockey Writers Association sure has its privileges!

-Weather They are starting to panic in Vancouver, what with the Olympics coming fast and no snow anywhere. Temperatures were in the 50s the whole time we were there, and a bit of drizzle Sunday and Monday nights otherwise it was sunny and made for perfect walking weather, which being in the center of downtown and all the action we took full advantage of.

-Sightseeing highlights Downtown Vancouver has some awesome neighborhoods: Gastown is the historic district with old buildings and cobblestone streets. The steam powered clock is a must see. Granville Island is the cool and hip shopping mecca with a public market, art galleries, shops and marinas, and is the template for what we hope Canalside to become (separate post coming). Granville Street pedestrian mall has shopping shopping and more shopping. The new Skytrain rapid transit system just opened in time for the Olympics, and the green Olympic line trolley connects the subway to Granville Island with a free ride. We rode around and reveled in the clean and modern rail system. Davie Street in downtown’s West End is ground zero for Vancouver’s gay community, and is one of the neatest walkable neighborhoods in downtown. We counted three sports bars in six blocks in that vicinity, very nice! The train station on the north waterfront is a convergence of rail, subway, seabus to north Vancouver and even a heliport. We love transportation infrastructure! And a side trip east to Abbotsford and Chilliwack gave us a glimpse to British Columbia’s breathtaking mountain scenery.

Brushes with greatness: Being part of the credentialed press corps, we not only enjoy $9 media buffets and all that free popcorn, but a chance to hob nob and network with all sorts of interesting people. Monday at General Motors Place was crazy – the Vancouver media and Canadian national media (Global, CBC, TSN) was there in droves, hyping the Miller v Luongo goaltender matchup as an Olympics preview. Then there was a separate press conference introducing former Canucks great Trevor Linden as the newest inductee in the BC Sports Hall of Fame and Trevor was there. Tyler Myers was garnering a great deal of attention after the morning skate, having played his junior hockey in nearby Kelowna. Oh, and did we mention that the USRT was interviewed on the Abbotsford Heat radio broadcast on Saturday? Plus, we get a chance to kick with some of our fellow Buffalo posse – John Vogl, Paul Hamilton and Harry Neale. And we gotta mention Sabres’ PR Dude Chris Bandura, he is the absolute best!

In case you’re keeping score at home (you’re not, but it sounds kinda funky no?), our stops at Comcast Arena in Everett, Abbotsford Entertainment and Sports Centre and the Prospera Centre in Chilliwack are arenas #110, #111 and #112 in our travels. Imagine — we have now set foot in 112 separate indoor venues, major league, minor league and division 1 college, since we started this craziness.

The down side looking forward — no major trips planned now until June (Kansas City, but we’re booking nothing for that trip until the outcome of the Sabres playoff run is decided), July (Minnesota Twins and the new Target Field), and come fall it will be a busy time for the USRT — we’re thinking Tuscaloosa as one of our college football stops, the new Meadowlands Stadium (NY Jets/NY Giants), and perhaps a trip to the United Kingdom and Wembley Stadium (Oct 31, NFL, Denver v San Francisco).

Thanks for following along!

Profiling Chilliwack’s Prospera Centre

One word comes to mind when trying to fit a description for Chilliwack, British Columbia’s Prospera Centre – “Mature”.

Mind you, this is pretty much a brand spanking new arena. It was built about five years ago, and the Western Hockey League Chilliwack Bruins played their first game in this building in the fall of 2006.

But step inside into this facility, and it doesn’t have that glitzy, ultra modern techno look or feel to the place. Rather, it has the sense of an arena tha has been around for years and years, yet is still spacious, modern and comfortable for the fans. An adjoining practice rink is available for public use, the scoreboard in the main seating bowl has video capabilities without being an over the top HD wonder, concession stands are plentiful with a broad selection of food items and prices are downright cheap.

Much of the “mature” feel has to do with the buildings’ support beams. In many of the ultra new arenas, modern engineering and cantilvering of balconies and such mask the structure’s support, yet here at the Prospera Centre the I-beams become part of the architecture, painted bright yellow and dominant at every section entrance, at the stairwells to the gondola style suites on a seocnd level and even a pressbox hanging high on the third level. These yellow beams make another statement as part of the roof supports, graceful an assymetrical yellow arches blending with the blue roof itself.

On the down side, the arena is replete with advertising. Ads, ads, ads everywhere. Of course along the dasher boards and backlit ad panels across the balcony face. And in the concourses. But then did they have to obliterate the faceoff circles and other sections of the ice with ads as well? Additionally, at first glimpse of the seating bowl we saw a row of banners hanging elegantly across the rafters. Championships? Retired numbers? Nah! Rather, corporate logos of “presenting sponsors”. Ugh!

This was our first foray into a WHL arena, so we don’t know if this plethora of advertising is consistent with the league or just a Chilliwack thing, but it is a blight nonetheless.

Other than that, the Prospera Centre (corporate name for a regional credit union in BC), located just west of the city center and adjacent to an athletic park in a residential neighborhood, is an architectural gem, and the fans here seem to respond well to their team, cheering loudly and clanging their cow bells.

As for the USRT, we can now claim a beachhead in the Western Hockey League!