The Game Owl

Kevin Durant

The Cavs Should Be A Hot Ticket

This weekend brings us a break in the action from the NFL and we get to see the NHL All-Star game in Montreal.  I hope everyone is over their Holiday Hangover and ready for the post-Super Bowl lull before March Madness.  2009 has been interesting so far, we have a new President and maybe a new outlook on life.  We still however are in the same economic downturn and might not be seeing as many games as we normally would want to see.  I would like to point out that if you are gainfully employed and still living comfortably, now is not the time to sit at home and watch.

Pens Need to Get Some Wins

There are a few good things that have happened due to the recession.  First, gas prices are back to being relatively manageable.  Second, with less people traveling the roads aren’t as packed.  And third, there are plenty of hotel deals out there to be had.  So if you are up to any traveling over the winter be it for skiing/snowboarding, visiting friends/family, or just want to visit someplace new, I suggest you try to catch a hockey, basketball, or spring training game.  This is the hangover time when prices are usually down from football season and the hyped holiday events are over.  So here are a few rivalries, within driving distance, you might want to check out during the Break In The Action.

NHL Action (All Games Listed are played Friday through Sunday for weekend travel)

Steve Mason is Becoming a Stud

1. Pittsburgh Penguins at Washington Capitals (2/22) and (3/8) Both Sunday match ups will be on National TV and will have a good mix of home and away fans.  Not to mention the Ovechkin/Semin vs. Crosby/Malkin match up.
2. New Jersey Devils at Philadelphia Flyers (3/1) Both teams are battling for the Division Lead.  Plus, the Devils can score now, so it will be an interesting Sunday game.
3. Philadelphia Flyers at New York Rangers (2/15) Another great inner division match up and two cities that don’t like each other.  Another Sunday TV game for the rest of us.
4. San Jose Sharks at Anaheim Ducks (3/15)  Should be a good Sunday battle between two of the Best in the West.
5. Calgary Flames at Edmonton Oilers (2/21) A fun Saturday night for all the Canadians in Alberta, check out the NHL network for the rest of us.
   

   Get a Room You Two

6. Columbus Blue Jackets at Pittsburgh Penguins (2/6) & vs Detroit Red Wings (2/13) So I had to get the Blue Jackets in here twice.  They have a great rookie Goaltender who is worth seeing.  Both games are on Friday nights.
7. Phoenix Coyotes at LA Kings (2/21)  The Coyotes are playing for their franchise life and a drive through the desert for a Saturday night game won’t be too bad.
8. Toronto Maple Leafs at Montreal Canadiens (2/7) Another Hockey Night in Canada tilt, and no love lost here.
9. Carolina Hurricanes at Atlanta Thrashers (2/28) For those in the Southeastern Division who want to check out Atlanta for a Saturday Night Game.
10. Toronto Maple Leafs at Ottawa Senetors - (2/28)  And finally the battle for Ontario between the Leafs and Sens.
    

    Sweet Goal

NBA Action

1. Detroit Pistons at Cleveland Cavaliers (2/22)  Easy drive for an important Sunday match up, just hope there isn’t any Lake Affect Snow.
   

   Paul Pierce

2. Boston Celtics at New York Knicks (2/6) This one is for all those Obnoxious Celtics fans who might want to head to NYC on a Friday night to rub it in.
3. LA Lakers at Phoenix Suns (3/1)  Should be a great Sunday day game and entertaining as usual.
4. New Jersey Nets at Philadelphia 76ers (1/31)  Ok, so if you are a Nets fan you might be proud to drive down the Jersey Turnpike and visit a much nicer city (appearance, not fans).
5. Dallas Mavericks at Houston Rockets (2/20)  There shouldn’t be any thunderstorms in Houston this time of year so traveling down from Dallas should be fine.
6. Miami Heat at Orlando Magic (2/22)  I know it is tough to get Heat fans and people in Miami to leave the beach to head to Orlando.  But, this match up should be fun to watch.
7. Oklahoma City Thunder at Dallas Mavericks (2/27)  This is a good reason for Thunder fans to go watch their team “develop” outside their own arena.
8. Chicago Bulls at Indiana Pacers (2/22)  Another easy drive weather permitting.  Maybe not as fun as when Jordan and Miller played but still a good time.
   

   Dwight Howard

9. Milwakee Bucks at Chicago Bulls (3/6)  Here’s an excuse to travel to the Second City and enjoy slightly different fattening foods.
10. Washington Wizards at New Jersey Nets (2/20)  Here is a stop over game for any Wizards fans who want to catch a game before heading into the city.

Championship Sunday is upon us and two lucky teams get to head to Tampa for the Superbowl.  The main question should be, what really lucky fans get to come along for the ride.  We are in the day of age were the average fan will never get to see a Superbowl in person and that is down right sad.  Fortuanately, my brother got to see the Steelers win in Superbowl XL, and that was because he has great friends.  But since the whole event has turned into a celebrity/super rich exclusive event, so the average fan gets to observe from their TV.  To combat that mindset, here are a few reasons that keep people away and hopefully things you can do to make it to the game.

1. Ticket Availability - Two teams make it the game so that means two sets of season ticket holders are put in a “lottery” to see who gets tickets.  Most stadiums hold around 70,000 people and if 80-90% are season ticket holders, that means that 60,000 seats are in the lottery.  So for the Superbowl you can hold around 70,000 or more.  After all the corporate sponsors eat up their hand out tickets, there are probably only 40,000 to 50,000 seats left for the two teams.  So divide that by two and that means each team gets to “hand out” 20,000 to 25,000 tickets.  So you have less then a 1 in 4 chance of getting tickets to the game as a season ticket holder.  You really need the Golden Ticket to get tickets as a Season Ticket Holder.
2. Ticket Price - The way the Superbowl ticket prices and playoff prices has risen over the past few years is ridiculous.  I believe face value tickets this year will be between $500 and $750 a piece.  So if you are “fortunate” enough to pay that price then you are getting a deal.  As far as getting tickets in the secondary market, you are looking at paying at least $1,000 per ticket if not a few thousand per.
3. Hotel Availability - So Hotel prices are going to be through the roof and probably booked by now, so what do you do.  Well thankfully Florida has a lot of Hotels, so staying in Ft. Myers or Orlando might be a good idea.
4. Flight Availability - With the amount of people coming in to party.  Just like a Bowl game, sometimes making a vacation out of the trip is a great idea.  Taking a road trip might also be a great idea.
5. Event Availability - So the Superbowl Parties are apparently the best part of the Superbowl, so how as an average fan do you get in to these events?  Well unless you know someone, I really can’t help you.  What you can do is go to some of the “Open” ones and then maybe make some connections.  Also you also might be able to find passes online, but beware of scams.

So Basically, I am trying not to steer you away from attending a great yearly event.  But if you want to do it once in a lifetime, I suggest you save up, plan accordingly, and make sure your favorite team is playing.  Even if your team doesn’t win, I hope you can enjoy the experience.