April 18, 2007

• Opening Day Blues

  You take the good. You take the bad. You take them both and there you have…

  Dodgers Baseball, Opening Day!

  Good: Taking a vacation day (No, I didn’t “call in sick”) to enjoy the game.

  Bad: Work called me on the cell in the bottom of the 2nd inning, for an “allegedly” urgent issue.
  

  
  

  Good: Dodger tickets are still one of the best sporting event deals in Los Angeles. $8 for a good seat!

  Bad: I had to pay $$$ for my ducat on Stubhub. Sigh. The things fans do for support.

  
  

  Good: The Navy SEAL parachute team (picture taken by my bud, Kevin), and the F-16 fly-by.

  

  Bad: I missed getting a shot of the F-16s since they were so fast and quiet.

  
  Good: The Super Dodger Dog with all the fixings. Not to sound like a homer, but is there any baseball stadium chow that is better than the classic Dodger Dog?

  Bad: The rookie concessions attendees still need some spring training. I had to correct one lady twice on giving my change.

  
  

  Good: The weather was great, and I got in some good sun time (with sunscreen, of course).

  Bad: I left with the gnarliest “watch tan”.

  
  Good: Our starting pitcher, Jason Schmidt hit a home run! Awesome!

  Bad: He was the only Dodger who hit one in a difficult 6-3 defeat. Plus, he left early due to leg cramps.

  
  

  Very Good: There’s nothing like celebrating the new baseball season, enjoying the Boys in Blue, consuming a Dodger dog, and taking in the entire spectacle that is Opening Day. I’m fortunate that I can take time out of my busy life and revel in a great American pastime.

  

  Very Bad: The new parking plan was absolutely ridiculous and caused a lot of problems. Not only was there a 50% price hike to $15, there was a lot of idle time getting in/out of the stadium (2.5 hours to exit!). The newly hired parking ushers (Yeah! OK!) were lackluster in guiding cars to parking spots in an orderly manner. And unfortunately, some Dodger fans were not-so-friendly, yelling expletives in front of children. After the game, a group of them decided to throw down in the parking lot over a flat tire dispute, only to be broken up by Dodger security and the LAPD.

  Yep. For better or for worse, this is Dodger baseball! I can’t wait until the Giants come into town!

  • 1:50 am
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