View from the Seats: Yanks vs Sox at Fenway

I'm here at the "musical little bandbox", Fenway Park in Boston, MA to see the New York Yankees against the Boston Red Sox. The Yankees are leading 7-4 here in the bottom of the 5th.

I'm sitting in Infield Grandstand 21 today and except for the stupid pole in my way and seats that aren't exactly comfortable, these are really nice seats.

The Red Sox have a great system in place where they provide an area for scalper-free resale of tickets. So if you want to make sure you get legit tickets, this is the way to do it as they scan the tickets to make sure before offering them to you at face.

Now on to the game so far. Curtis Granderson had his second homer of the season (both off lefties amazingly) and Russell Martin connected as well to give the Yankees 5 runs in the past two innings. But the Red Sox are chipping away against Ivan Nova and trying to come closer.

The Yankees are trying to hold on and even the series while the Sawks are trying to get their second win of the season.

-Andrew

NYaT Roundtable: Belated 2011 National League Picks

And I thought I was behind with the American League picks. These are even further behind. Luckily, all the picks were done before the season started so while some of them will sound funny now, they are still genuine expert picks. Well "expert". Because, as we saw from the American League, some of our predictions are already not working out. Here's what we think about the NL:

NYaT writers think that Doc Halladay's Phillies will take it all (Star-Ledger)

NL East

Ben W: When a team's starting pitching is as good as the Phillies' staff is, it's hard not to predict them as division winners. I understand that there are questions about their bullpen and their lineup, but their 1-4 starters are just too good. Braves will be a close second. Don't count out the Marlins either. They have good, young starting pitching and Mike Stanton is gonna be a superstar. Mets might improve marginally. Nationals got Jayson Werth but still won't contend. Phillies.

Ben P: The Phillies probably have the best rotation I've ever seen and their lineup isn't too shabby either. Can anyone beat this team? The Braves have a lot of young talent and will probably take the wild card. Florida and the Mets both seem like 500 teams. Both have more questions than answers on their rosters but Florida's pitching and the Mets lineup will make them competitive. The Nationals simply don't have the pitching to compete and have a few too many Zimmermans for my taste. Phillies.

Jay: I realize the Phillies' offense is aging and that Brad Lidge is injured, but the starting pitching is just too strong. I think the Braves, backed by Jason Heyward, Freddie Freeman, Brian McCann, Martin Prado, and the newly acquired Dan Uggla give them a run for their money, but fall a game or two short. Phillies.

Alex O: Let’s go with another surprise pick and not pick the Phillies--- who start season banged up. I am going with Hotlanta. Heyward has a breakout year and the Braves surprise most with a division title. Braves.

Andrew: I'm going to side with Alex and pick the Braves. Although the Braves rotation isn't as good as the Phillies, their bullpen and lineup are better and I think they find a way to overtake them this year. I said that last year as well and look what happened, but I think the maturation of their youth and Dan Uggla make the difference in Atlanta. The Marlins will be around .500 and the Mets will be just under. The Nats are going to be more competitive than most people think and may actually not finish last Braves.

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UConn-Yankees Ticket Offer @ Yankee Stadium

On Wednesday, April 13, the Yankees will be honoring the 2011 NCAA Basketball Champion UConn Huskies.  There will be an on-the-field pregame ceremony, and Kemba Walker will throw out the first pitch.  The actual Yankees game against the Baltimore Orioles will begin at 7:05 p.m.

Here's the kicker for all the fans: use the promo code "UCONN" and get $5 tickets in the Main Level Outfield, Terrace Level Outfield, Grandstand Level and Bleachers seats.  Not a bad deal.

So come on, UConn Country, show up to cheer on your Huskies.  Besides, the sagging attendance figures at Yankee Stadium could use your help!

Fun With Sports Law: Video Game Edition

Have you bought a new copy of Madden or NCAA Football since 2005?  If so, you stand to make some free money.  A couple of dudes from California filed an class action antitrust lawsuit against EA Sports, the company that produces these two video games.

Unlike the famous American Needle case, where the plaintiff was a small family-owned company that got squeezed out of the football merchandise industry by the NFL's exclusive licensing agreement with Reebok, these two gentlemen claim that the NFL's exclusive agreement with EA Sports resulted in a higher video game price for consumers.  They may or may not win (depending on the outcome of the rule of reason test) but all sports fans should thank American Needle for preserving their opportunity to win.  Had American Needle lost its case at the Supreme Court, professional sports leagues would have had free reign to exclusively license anything it wanted to anybody at all.  Imagine $50 baseball caps, $125 video games, and $800 Sunday Ticket.  Not a pretty sight.

At this point, you're probably thinking, "You said something about free money?"  Right.  If you bought a new copy of Madden or NCAA Football since January 1, 2005, you are automatically a member of the class action lawsuit.  And if you're a class member, it's probably best to do nothing.**  The only real advantage of opting out of the class (rather than staying in) is being able to file your own antitrust lawsuit against EA Sports on the same grounds.  I don't expect many of you to go that route.

So, assuming you remain in the class by doing nothing, a small army of lawyers will represent you and the literally millions of other plaintiffs around the country.  In a few years, the case will probably settle, and the court will probably approve the settlement.  How much do you stand to "earn?"  Well, suppose it settles for $20 million.  The attorneys will get their twenty-five percent cut, or $5 million.  That leaves $15 million for roughly 10 million video game owners.  You can expect to receive a compensation check for $1.63 in ohhh, I don't know, about four years.  Isn't the American legal system just the best?!

**In no way does this constitute legal advice. If you're seeking legal advice on this matter, you should consult an attorney licensed in the jurisdiction in which you reside.

For your convenience, here is a copy of the email that our own Andrew Katz forwarded me last night:

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Russell's Mea Culpa: Biteless Bulldogs Lack Fight, and Now I'm Eating Humble Pie

After Russell picked the Butler Bulldogs to take the NCAA Championship Game, we knew that he would be back here with his tail between his legs to let us know why he was wrong. Here's what Russell had to say:

Like the Butler Bulldogs, Russell is upset by the finale (Arbiter)

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Throughout the history of sports there have been dozens of ridiculous statements made by athletes. From Pete Rose "I did not bet on baseball" to Rafael Palmeiro "I did not take steroids period" as well as the myriad guarantees made by athletes that, in retrospect were total nonsense. Well after the the national championship game last night we may need to add my "They may be underdogs, but Butler will be Top Dogs on Monday" to that illustrious list. I believed in Brad Stevens, I believed in Matt Howard, I believed in the Butler defense, and now I believe I will be served humble pie at lunch for the next week.

In what was easily the most painful championship game to watch possibly ever, Butler battled early before folding like a cheap tent. But as UConn settled down the Bulldogs just got more frazzled, shooting heavily contested long jumpers that only contributed to scoring droughts that seemed to last almost as long as my Physics class. A team renowned for their defense and hustle did some of that, but their inability to score was truly astounding. Butler missed 22 out of 23 shots in the start of the second half! It was one of the most atrocious offensive performances in the history of basketball, and they picked a heck of a night to do it. Butler shot 18.8% from the field. Butler shot 3-31 from inside the paint with no points inside in the entire first half! Yes the Huskies big men were solid but this reflects badly on Butler not well on UConn's D. The Bulldogs got open looks, they had layups that rolled around and dropped out, they had good looks at the basket, but just couldn't get anything to drop.

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Was Cashman Right?

Brian Cashman has recently re-entered the spotlight for his comments regarding reliever Pedro Feliciano.  In reference to Feliciano's workload while pitching for the Mets, Cashman called the team's usage of him "abusive," sparking an exchange of words between Cashman, Mets Pitching Coach Dan Warthen, and Feliciano himself.  While Cashman may have been out of line in taking such a public stance, it also furthers one's respect of Cashman for his brutal honestly.  In a city where anything but a token PR response generates controversy, Cashman has never shied away from the truth, regardless of what kind of drama his words may generate.  Whether or not we agree with his opinions is another issue entirely.

This past offseason, Cashman was heavily criticized for not acquiring a front-line starting pitcher after failing to sign Cliff Lee.  Rather, he turned to low risk options Freddy Garcia and Bartolo Colon, signing them to minor league deals.  He was even in talks to bring back hated ex-Yankee Carl Pavano.  Yankee ownership and top brass, not satisfied with Cashman's work, decided to improve the club by signing closer Rafael Soriano to an overpriced contract to pitch the 8th inning ahead of Mariano Rivera.  Cashman, who has usually been of the opinion that the club can build the bullpen from within, was quite frank when asked about the signing, stating that he was opposed to the signing and that he had made this opinion well known to Yankee ownership.

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Review: "Lights Out"

Patrick "Lights" Leary  (Credit: FX)

What better way to help put the "T" back in NYaT than by reviewing "Lights Out," the boxing drama that just finished its first season on FX?  Although I'm a little revved up, having watched the finale just a few minutes ago, I'll try my best to see the forest among the trees.  But if you watched along with me, I think you'll understand how difficult that might be.  Here we go.

I'll start by saying that "Lights Out" is the only fictional sports show on TV right now.  Gone are the days of Playmakers, Friday Night Lights, and Arli$$.  FX somehow stands alone in the sports niche, which I find amazing.  Think about how many successful sports films -- not just comedies, but dramas too -- are produced every year.  From Invictus to Seabiscuit to Million Dollar Baby, sports movies are all over Hollywood.  So how and why has the small screen abandoned the genre?  And how did FX beat every other network to the punch (get it?) by creating a very, very good boxing drama?

For the purpose of this review, the answers to these questions are irrelevant.  I'll let the TV executives figure it out.  I just hope that some other networks meet the obvious demand for good original sports programming.  While they're at it, why not get rid of some of the lousy reality shows that are clogging up the evening hours?  Does America really need another weight loss show?  Viewers can already choose from the following options: Biggest Loser, Celebrity Fit Club, I Used To Be Fat, HEAVY, and Shedding for the Wedding.  Six shows about fat people...six!  I know that people secretly like these shows because they feel better about themselves after watching even fatter people on TV, but come on.  We need to encourage the networks to invest more in quality original sports programming like Lights Out.  Attention all executives -- follow FX's lead.  Here's what they did well.

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A Video Tribute To The 2010-11 UConn Huskies

Here is a great 2 1/2 minute clip about UConn's incredible and unlikely run to the 2011 NCAA championship, narrated by the extremely underrated Rece Davis.



And here is the official 2011 "One Shining Moment" clip, set to the soulful sounds of Luther Vandross.



Once again, hats off to the UConn Huskies -- 2011 NCAA champs!

Best In Show: UConn Huskies Defeat Butler Bulldogs To Win 3rd NCAA Championship

UConn Huskies: 2011 NCAA Champs!  (Credit: Hartford Courant)

Five months ago, who saw this coming?  Not Sports Illustrated, which didn't put UConn in its preseason bracket of 68.  Not the Big East coaches, who predicted that UConn would finish 10th in conference play.  Not even me, a lifelong Huskies fan -- I was just hoping we could avoid the NIT for a second straight year.

But these puppy Huskies, led by embattled head coach Jim Calhoun and transcendent superstar Kemba Walker, believed they could be something special.  It was just a matter of harnessing young talent, balancing strengths (defense, speed, Kemba) with weaknesses (penetrating the zone, inexperience, shallow bench).  After a strong start (17-2) the team cooled off (4-7 down the stretch), and the question became: could they put together a sustained run in the postseason?  Well, now we know.

Without further ado, let's take a look at how UConn won tonight and where the program will go from here...

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View From The Seats: Tigers at Yankees

I'm back with my 2011 Season debut of the View From The Seats, from 431A (my weekend plan). The Yankees have the chance to go for the sweep today but right now are trailing 9-6.

This was not a good start for Phil Hughes who picked up where he left off last season with the inability to finish off hitters and--at least according the radar at The Stadium--decreased velocity. Bartolo Colon has not been much better in his Yankees debut.

The bats have tried to bring the Yankees back as the "New Yankee Stadium Wind Tunnel" has returned today, highlighted by two blasts from Jorge Posada and Mark Teixiera's third homer in three games. The problem is that everytime the Yankees have put up a crooked number, the Tigers have answered back.

Three innings left for the comeback as the Yankees go for the sweep in the big ballpark in the Bronx.

-Andrew