Slices From the Apple

I have just returned from a great five-day weekend in New York City. The weather was great, the streets were bustling, the BBQs were aflame, and cocktails were flowing. Other notable happenings from a Memorial Day weekend in New York include:

• For the first time ever, more New Yorkers were sporting Mets caps than Yankees hats this weekend. This obviously speaks to the recent performance of the two teams, but also affirms a more important point: EVERY city is full of front-runners. Of course, there are exceptions, but most casual fans love a winner, even in New York where everyone has you believe that they are more die-hard than anybody else. Not quite.

• While having breakfast at one of our favorite dives, The Waverly Diner, in the village, I saw Philip Seymour Hoffman walking down the street with his family. This is actually the second or third time I’ve seen him. He looked tired or hungover each time.

• We had an impromptu dinner at the Spotted Pig on Sunday night. This place is sometimes written up in Page Six or other celeb magazines as a dining haunt for folks like Owen and Luke Wilson, and Jay-Z and Beyonce, so we wanted to see what the fuss was about. The menu is actually not too expensive and super casual. On the menu though were pig’s ears, and marinated faggots. Suffice it to say, I had a burger and Natalia had some gnocchi-type thing. Also, if you’ve never heard of Roquefort cheese, you may want it on the side and not smothered on the burger.

• Sunday night we had a great time partying with friends and actually went to this party (see link), but got there too late to hang with this fuzzy mascot.
  http://deadspin.com/sports/mr%27-met-will-steal-your-drink-and-take-your-girl/when-its-time-for-mr-met-to-party-its-time-to-party-hard-264416.php

• Like most couples, going to the movies is a favorite pastime. This weekend, we did not see a flick simply because there was not a movie that appealed to the two of us. Spiderman 3- I was kinda into checking it, but not the lady really. Pirates- No. The Namesake- Natalia already saw it. The Ex-not even in theaters anymore.

• A passed-out Lindsay Lohan made the cover of both New York rag newspapers on Monday. I mentioned to Natalia that I don't think even 9/11 made the cover of both papers, but a hammered Lohan is splashed on both tabloids. What a country.

Also, I wanted to add a quick story that happened to me two weeks ago. My buddy Chris was in town from LA for the weekend and we decided to hit the A’s-Giants game in Oakland. We get to the Coliseum and quickly learned that the game was sold out. Like any good baseball fans we began to look for scalper seats. After trying to talk down some scalpers to no avail, we wandered around the stadium asking if anybody has two extras. After a while, a middle-aged guy comes up to us and says, “Yeah, I got two extras. You look like a couple of nice guys. Here you go.”

Us: Sweet! How much do we owe you?

Guy: Don’t worry about it.

Us: Are you sure? Thanks. We’ll buy you a beer.

Chris: By the way, what’s your name?

Guy: Call me Homey.

Chris: That’s easy to remember.

Homey: Have fun.

(walking away)

Chris: (to me) I wonder how you spell that.

Me: No idea.

Chris: Well, Homey DO play that.

Nice! Free tickets! We proceed into the stadium and quickly learn that the seats he gave us are in his luxury box. Super Sweet! So we enjoyed a great game with Homey and his friends and family, had a couple beers and wings, and peanuts all for the bargain low price of ZERO. Good times.

Howland Really is My Homeboy

Here's me and UCLA basketball coach, Ben Howland--the best UCLA basketball coach since the legendary John Wooden.

I gave him some tips that should help the Bruins win NCAA Title #12.

Whales in Peril

A recent story making headlines (no just locally, but nationally I believe) has involved two humpback whales that have made their way up the Sacramento River after taking a wrong turn somewhere in the San Francisco Bay.

For the Bay Area natives reading this, a whale accidentally swimming into the shallow waters of Northern California waterways is not completely unheard of. Twenty-two years ago, a lone humpback whale took a similar misdirected turn and was swimming in the San Joaquin Delta for almost a month. I vividly remember this story as the Coast Guard and other aquatic organizations worked diligently to help Humphrey (the local newspaper named the large mammal) get going in the right direction. T-shirts, newspaper headlines, and television broadcasts made Humphrey a household name and a local celebrity of sorts.

I appreciate stories like this, mostly because there is no inherent political bias in wanting to save a couple of whales, particularly these two whales who happen to be a mother and cub duo further enhancing the drama. Everyone hopes that these two humungous mammals eventually find their way and there are no ominous sound bites being spewed on local newscasts. “Whales are taking over the Sacramento waterways! Are your children safe? Stay tuned to the 11 o’clock news to find out.”

Rather, it’s a pretty interesting story about trying to figure out ways to get the world’s largest animals (I think) back onto the open water. Recently, the coast guard has used whale songs to try to lure the whales to follow the familiar sounds to freedom, but this has failed thus far.

(As an aside, I remember my high school trigonometry teacher used to play whale music while we were taking exams. He claimed research said that such sounds soothed one’s nerves that may become agitated under the stress of taking tests. This being San Francisco we didn’t really bat an eye, and by the end of the semester we found ourselves requesting the melodic tones of the Humpback whale orchestra should our teacher forget to play the tape. I should also mention that he was a football coach…only in SF.)

I hope the story of these two whales ends happily. What with the Iraq War continuing to be a mess, the Warriors losing in the playoffs, and Christopher getting wacked by Tony on The Sopranos, we could all use a little good news.

Like Losing a Friend

In my last post, I mentioned that I attended Game 3 of the Utah Jazz- Golden State Warriors series last Friday. It was an absolute blast! I have been to hundreds of sporting events in my day and this one definitely ranks in the top ten (I’ll write a post that breaks down the actual list. Off the top of my head, 1995 Final Four Championship, 2002 World Cup- US v. Mexico, 2006 NCAA Sweet 16- UCLA v. Gonzaga, the list goes on and on).

This post though is not about the game, but the effect that the game had on one of my dear traveling companions, my Tamron 28mm-200mm camera lens. I had been having troubles with the lens in recent months, but the lens finally went into “completely screwed mode” midway through the first quarter. Here is a picture of one of my last good photos.

Here is my camera's last picture:

Tragic. The zoom action on the lens was having problems moving in and out and I may have forced it a bit in my exuberance, but the result is what you see above. The horror!

I brought it into to a camera store to see if there was any way to resuscitate the Tamron, but the guy suggested that I’m better off getting a new lens. He also mentioned that it looked like it was dropped. This lens has traveled with me all over the world and I do not recall dropping it. The only difference is that I now attach the lens to a digital camera body that I received for Christmas. I feel like the problems began with this switch but I cannot be sure.

Like any good father or friend, I decided to get a second opinion and took the lens to Adolph Gasser Inc, widely known as the premier camera store in all of San Francisco. Now the lens remains at the store awaiting the results of a $15 estimate. I may have just dropped $15 to hear them tell me that the lens is screwed, but a new lens of this magnitude costs around $300, so I figure the $15 is worth finding out a proper diagnosis.

Keep your fingers crossed!

Observations from a Painful Game 2

Last night’s Warriors loss to the Utah Jazz in Game 2 of the 2007 Western Conference Semifinals was as tough to swallow as any playoff loss in recent Bay Area sports history.

Others that immediately come to mind include: Game 6 of the 2002 World Series (Giants v. Angels)—Giants were leading 5-0 in the top of the seventh inning with a chance to wrap up their first world championship since moving to San Francisco. Then their bullpen gives up 3 runs in the seventh, 3 runs in the eighth and go on to lose the game 6-5 and eventually the series.

1991 NFC Championship Game- (SF v. NY) 49ers were a game away from heading to (and likely winning) their third straight Super Bowl. With the ball and a one point lead with less than three minutes to go, Roger Craig fumbles, Lawrence Taylor recovers it and the Giants Matt Bahr goes on to kick the winning field goal and the New York Giants go on to win the Super Bowl.

Last night, the Warriors were up by five points with 30 seconds remaining, and thanks to missing three out of four free throws, the Jazz tie the game at the end of regulation and eventually run away with the game in overtime. Absolutely shocking and brutal.

Ahhh, sports. Based on the first two games, I would argue that the Warriors could be up 2-0 and 1-1 at the very least. Unfortunately, luck, fate, or inability to close on the road reared its ugly head and the Warriors are facing an absolutely must-win on Friday in Oakland.

Fear not, True Believers! The Warriors have been amazing at home thus far and should prevail Friday with the help of a raucous home crowd. Returning to Utah for Game 5 tied up at 2-2 is not out of the question, and I think the Warriors should still feel confident enough to beat the Jazz despite two excruciatingly close losses. I BELIEVE!!

One last observation: I watched the game at my brother’s place last night for the mojo and also because of his epic HD quality screen. It’s a unsettling sight to see an NBA arena completely full of white people. Thanks to HD technology, detailed shots of fans come in clearly throughout the game and there was not a single Asian, African-American, or Latino person to be seen. Interestingly, there were also a lot more women in the crowd than normal as well. I guess it makes sense considering a majority of Jazz fans have three wives.

(Update: I just scored a ticket for tomorrow night's Game 3 in Oakland. Will have photos and an entry detailing the excitement.)

Wagers Aplenty

Although some would argue that I believe there are important sporting events happening every day of the year, May 5, 2007 has a great trifecta of events making today a rare day in the sports calendar.

These events will not only be great to watch for its intensity, grandeur, and competition, but also because I plan to place a few small wagers on these events. Truth be told, one of the three events would not even be interesting unless I bet on it.

Just like every year, all eyes turn to Louisville, Kentucky on the first Saturday of May for the Kentucky Derby. Dubbed "the most exciting two minutes in sports", I have bet (very modest amounts- $20 max) on the Derby for the last few years and have to admit that the race is always fun to watch and much more exciting with a chance to win a few bucks.

When I was living in New York, a co-worker buddy of mine, got me intrigued into the hype surrounding Triple Crown horse racing and for three years we went to the Off-Track Betting places to make our wagers and watch the race at a local bar. Nothing is more interesting than observing the types of folks that spend time in Manhattan OTB's. I think every unsolved crime in New York could be easily remedied with a quick sweep of these joints.

Upon my departure back to CA, I have kept the tradition alive, and while I know nothing about the intricacies of the sport, I utilize my fool-proof method of selecting horses with the coolest or funniest name. I usually rely on Natalia and her lady luck to help with the selections as well.

This year I went with: Great Hunter to win (15/1 odds). I also selected a trifecta box (choosing top three finishers in any order) with Hard Spun, No Biz Like ShoBiz, and Scat Daddy. Wish me luck.

(Update: Street Sense wins the Kentucky Derby followed by Hard Spun, then Curlin. My picks Great Hunter finished 12th, No Biz like ShoBiz 10th, and Scat Daddy 18th. Zero winnings thus far.)

Following the pony show, Game 7 of the NBA Playoffs featuring the Utah Jazz at the Houston Rockets comes on the air. Obviously, the only REAL interesting outcome of this game is that the winner gets to play against the most exciting story in the NBA since the Kobe and Shaq days in LA (in my opinion), which is the Golden State Warriors. The story of the Warriors has been unbelievable and I, along with everyone else in the Bay Area, is absolutely swept up in excitement of Nellie Ball. I've meant to write a whole entry on my feelings towards this, but have yet to find the words to capture it. In brief: this is the first time in my life that I have genuinely rooted for the same team as my brother and all my closest friends (see my first blog entry ever) and I'm loving every minute of it!

Back to game 7...I honestly could care less about who wins this game since the Warriors are the road team either way, but I put a couple of bucks on the Utah Jazz (+5 1/2) simply because I think the game will be close and Utah is physically stronger than Houston from what I've seen. Rockets behind Yao and McGrady in a squeaker or an outright upset for Utah which means Derek Fisher will probably win it for them. At least, that's my prediction. Either way, the winner hosts the Warriors on Monday and the party can start up for another week.

(Update II: Don't call it a comeback! Terrible play by the Rockets at the end leads to victory for Utah and my measly wager. Warriors v. Jazz Monday night. Woo Hoo!)

Finally, tonight I'm going to a party surrounding the third sporting event of the day, Oscar De La Hoya v. Floyd Mayweather Jr.. This is truly the main event of the day. Some have said this is the biggest boxing match in years, with others saying that this maybe the last important boxing event ever due to the lack of boxing's popularity and the rise in the other mixed martial arts stuff. Personally, I'm not that big of a boxing fan at all (unless the Italian Stallion is in the ring). I do love huge events though and after watching the HBO documentary hyping up this event, I'll admit that I'm interested in watching this. Plus, I'll be at a party and get to pretend that I know something about boxing with a room full of strangers. Who am I picking? Based on the documentary, I think De La Hoya might be stronger, but Mayweather is the fastest boxer I have ever seen. His training footage is unbelievable.

I think I'm picking Mayweather to win in a decision. Without a knockout, this would leave the door open for a rematch and another $20 million for each side, which is what seems to always happen in this shady sport.

(Update III: As predicted, Pretty Boy Floyd emerges victorious by judges' decision...pretty successful day of prognostications overall.)

So there you have it, my Saturday in a nutshell. Gotta run, there may be a high school track meet I could bet on this morning.

Alas, No Triumph

I was fortunate enough to obtain tickets to watch a Conan O’Brien taping yesterday as part of his week of shows here in San Francisco.

All in all, it was a very good time and only added to the absolutely euphoric mood hanging over the city (thanks to nice weather and the palpable excitement surrounding the Golden State Warriors). The show was being taped at 4pm, but I got in line at about 1pm to pick-up my tickets and join the throngs of mostly twenty-somethings already in line.

My buddy Brian joined me at about 2:30 and we both admitted that the waiting in line portion of the day was pretty amusing. The show was being taped at the Orpheum Theater. A classic SF stage venue located in the heart of the Tenderloin. As Dave Chapelle once said, “ain’t nothing tender about it.” Even Conan had a riff about the ‘Loin during the show as he commented, “The Orpheum Theatre. San Francisco’s very best venue located in San Francisco’s 25th-best neighborhood.” Brian even commented that one day we should pull up a couple of folding chairs, a 12-pack, and just observe the crazies that traverse this section of Market Street every day. It would definitely be amusing and worth about five blog entries on its own.

Upon finally entering the Orpheum (no cameras allowed unfortunately), we found seats at the orchestra level about 15 rows from the stage on the left side or as Brian said, “bulls-eye with Max Weinberg’s gut.” While the show itself (Robin Williams and the Glide Ensemble-a local choir) was a solid B with regards to hilarity, actually observing the inner workings of Late Night and unbelievable crowd reactions made the event worthwhile. First of all, its amazing how much activity there is during the commercial breaks. About five different folks are giving Conan water, flashing him cue cards, helping him edit stuff, and moving things around the stage. Its pretty amazing and surprisingly seamless. I give Conan much-respect for being able to juggle all of these things and make it look so smooth merely 30 seconds later.

Secondly, it is amazing how people react when they know they have the potential to be on TV. People were dressed in funny wigs, holding up crazy signs (one said “I Like Conan (as a friend)”), and bizarre outfits (one older woman that we dubbed HR Puffenstuff wore a scarf and headdress that looked like marijuana plants). Whenever a camera is present, folks would wave their arms in excitement. I guess its natural for anybody, but when you see it non-stop for a hour it gets to be pretty annoying.

His two skits, one on Sam Wo Chinese Restaurant, the other a trip to Napa, were well-executed and left the house in stitches. Then almost as quickly as it started, it was over. Less than an hour later, we were out of there.

While it was super fun to be part of the magic, I was hoping for Triumph, the Insult Comic Dog, but no such luck.