The Winter Games Begin

I'll remember the start of the 2010 Winter Games because of the snow. On the day I was scheduled to fly to Vancouver, we were dealt another haymaker in NJ by Mother Nature, who decided to dump 18 inches of the white stuff. It was the second major snowfall in less than a week and canceled all flights from Philadelphia and most other airports in the Northeast -- almost 2,000 by some accounts.

When all was said and done, Delta couldn't reschedule me on another flight out until Saturday morning.

I ended up missing the Opening Ceremonies -- as well as the chance to get settled and adjusted before the chaos of the Games began -- but made the best of it by enjoying my own Winter Games with the girls at home. Hey, when life gives you snow, you make a snowman. Or a fort. Or dig a tunnel through the massive snow bank outside your front door.

Ultimately, I did make it to Vancouver -- going from snow in the Northeast to rain in the Northwest. I was three days later than anticipated, but I arrived less than an hour after the first medal was decided. There was no time to ease into things -- just had to hit the ground running.

Yankees Win! The-e-e Yankees Win!

It wasn't a subway World Series, but for me, it was even an easier commute.

I attended all six games of the 2009 World Series over an eight-day span, alternating between the Yankees' new digs in New York (about an hour and a half from my house in NJ) and Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia (45 minutes from my house).

The teams split the opening two games in New York, with Cliff Lee dominating for the Phils in Game 1 and the Yankees taking out Pedro Martinez in Game 2 -- a rewarding win on my birthday! The series then shifted to Philadelphia, with the third game scheduled for Halloween, making for an eventful day.

I grabbed my rental car, drove into Philly to pick up my media credential and set up shop in the press box during the afternoon, then raced back home to take the girls Trick or Treating in Pennington with Carrie.

(At the left is Hana as Hanna Montana, Maia as her sidekick Lily and Sadie as a Minnie Mouse witch...)

Had to make sure I got my share of chocolate!

With a few Reese's peanut butter cups and Snickers bars in my bag, I shot back to Citizens Bank Park. I got there just at the start of the Yankees' 8-5 victory in which Andy Pettitte got the W and even drove in a run -- the first by a Yankee pitcher in the World Series in 45 years.

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It's easy to get jaded by the sports world when you work in the industry, but this World Series definitely renewed my passion for the game in many ways.

Sometimes all it takes is a new perspective. In this case it was my 6-year-old nephew, Dante, for whom this World Series was the ultimate struggle of good and evil, as his beloved Phillies took on the hated Yankees. This was the first year that baseball really "clicked" for him and it was cool to see. He memorized the players, knew their positions and even tried to mimic their batting stances. When he played games in the backyard or on the Wii, invariably it would be the Phillies against the Yanks. His love of Chase Utley took me back to my youth, when Dave Winfield ensconced himself as my all-time favorite player by drilling long two home runs into the night air in the very first game I ever went to at Yankee Stadium.

So when Dante got a chance to go to a World Series game in Philly with my bro-in-law, I couldn't be more psyched...

They went to Game 5, with the Phillies already down 3-1 in the series after a heart-breaking 7-4 loss in which they gave up three ninth-inning runs. It's hard to root against my team, but in this case, I was -- I wanted Dante to see a Phillies' win in his first World Series game, but also wanted to see the Yankees have a chance to close things out at home. Fittingly, Chase Utley cracked two homers to lead the Phillies the win and send him home happy...

Two days later, the Yankees finished the job -- heading back home to the Bronx and wrapping up their record-extending 27th World Series championship as Hideki Matsui had a game for the ages, driving in six runs to snag MVP honors.

Before the start of the game, I interviewed Barry Larkin for a story I was doing on Derek Jeter and it proved to be a surreal experience, as I got to walk with him along the warning track to the door in the centerfield fence. I ended up being one of the last folks on the field before the start of the national anthem, a very cool experience..

When Mariano Rivera recorded the final out just before midnight, you bet I had the cell phone in hand ready to snap a picture:

I then high-tailed it down to the Yanks' locker room to join in the celebration. I was prepared -- wearing my rain jacket for the champagne spraying in every direction!

(Jeter ducks for cover!)

(Champagne for everyone!!)

(Aceves gets a champagne shower!)

(A-Rod pops out from behind the tarps protecting the lockers..)

(And of course, the Captain, who slips out after a private celebration with Minka Kelly..)

The one picture that I missed out on in the locker room was with Kurt Russell, who I've been told bears some physical resemblances to me (hopefully from his Snake Plisken years).

He was there wearing his Yankee jacket and hat, and I was very disappointed that I wasn't able to snag a pic as my camera died and then the media was ushered out before I was able to replace the batteries. Would have been a good one.

Ah well, there's always next year,

Yankee Stadiums

Closing out the old and ringing in the new.

On Sept. 21, 2008, I covered the final game in the 85-year history of venerable Yankee Stadium, which was home to all of the franchise's record 26 World Series titles and so much more.

On April 16, 2009, I covered the first game in the Yankees' brand-spanking new, $1.5 billion ballpark in the Bronx.

So, as a long-time Yankee fan, I figured I'd chronicle some photos and memories of those two games just seven months apart.

Needless to say, the House that Ruth Built was packed for the finale. Unfortunately, everyone knew it was the last game in the old ballpark because for the first time since the early 90s, the Yankees wouldn't be headed to the playoffs.

But emotions were still riding high and I spent a good bit of time wandering the concourses and different levels, talking to fans about their memories and experiences at the stadium.

I made sure to take a last look from numerous different vantage points, including one from down the third-base line, where as a youngster I watched my first Yankee game -- a loss to the Royals in which Dave Winfield cemented his place as my favorite baseball player by hitting two towering home runs.

Also during the game, I went down to a little room behind home plate where everything and anything involved in the final game was being authenticated by Major League Baseball and its official collectibles arm. It was actually pretty cool seeing all the official balls that were being used, watching them put holograms on the bases that were swapped out every inning, and listening to them explain how the dirt would be collected and sealed in containers afterwards.

Of course, I also made sure to get a picture of the final official lineup, which was posted on the blackboard in the media room tucked in the bowels of the stadium.

"The bowels", to be sure, are an apt description of the underbelly of Yankee Stadium. While there's much to miss about the old ballpark, the place definitely had run its course in many ways. I'll never forget that during the post-game news conference, as Yankee manager Joe Girardi summed up his feelings and emotions in the cramped, run-down interview room, there was a garbage bucket in the middle of the rows of folding chairs for reporters. And into the bucket fell water from a steady leak in the ceiling. Needless to say, I included that in my post-game story on the event.

The pre-game ceremony that featured more than 50 former Yankees, including Don Larsen, who at one point stooped over to collect dirt from the pitcher's mound. That was a popular keepsake, though I didn't snatch any up after the game -- a 7-3 victory over Baltimore in which Andy Pettitte picked up the W and Mariano Rivera tossed the ninth.

I did make sure to get down on the field just to soak up the moment. Of course I had to take a picture from Jeter's shortstop position…

Mariano was among the players who scooped up their own share of dirt, so I made sure to take a couple pictures. What I thought was even cooler though was that he and some family members later just laid down in the infield grass and enjoyed the moment -- it almost looked like they were having their own private picnic, just without the food.

A cool way to close things out, though there was no escaping that directly across the street loomed the new stadium, which at the time was about 75 percent complete. And from the outside, it looked like it was ready for action..


The Yankees couldn't have gotten a better day for the opener at the new park -- as one bitter Red Sox fan said to me at one point, "Man, look at that weather.. Even God is a Yankee fan."

Headed over from the office with Soshnick, who was writing a column on the stadium, and got there a few minutes before they opened the main gates at about 10:30 a.m. It was about three hours before game time, but the fans were everywhere, anxious to check the place out.

Having been at the opener of the Mets' new park (Citi Field) just three days earlier, I have to say the Yankees did things right. Of course they spent almost twice as much as the Mets did, but while both stadiums were beautiful, the new Yankee Stadium still had the feeling of the old digs. Yeah, I'm a Yankee fan, so I might be biased, but Citi Field just had a generic feel to it. There was no nod to the team's history -- no mention of the Mets' two championships, no pictures of Mets' greats and no Mets' colors (green seats??).

Yankee Stadium, as one would expect, was still loaded with history. There were pennants and plaques for all the retired numbers and championship seasons. The signature frieze was still atop the stadium itself. Monument park was moved just beyond the centerfield wall (albeit partially covered by a restaurant). There were pictures everywhere; I loved the fact that from foul pole to foul pole there were huge black and white photos of great moments in Yankee history in chronological order. Great stuff.

Of course, there were loads of stories about the outrageous ticket prices (some behind home plate went for more than $2,500 PER GAME). It definitely is a shame that the normal fan is in many ways getting priced out of the stadium, but there are still reasonable seats to be found. I talked to a guy who was there with his 15-year-old son and had snagged some primo bleacher seats on the cheap, just $14 apiece for great views from beyond the outfield fence.

While the stadium felt like the same place, just better, there were naturally questions about whether it would still have the same magic… There seemed to be some missing as their 11-game home-opening win streak came to an end with a 10-2 loss to Cleveland. (I liked the fact that by far the biggest boos of the day went to Carl Pavano, now with the Indians, during pre-game introductions. Bum..)

China Trip - Final Chapter

Finally getting around to adding the final chapter to my China trip. This after nearly losing many irreplaceable photos when my laptop crashed...

As great as the trip was, it just wouldn't be me if I didn't close things out with a couple mis-steps.

The first came after a long, leisurely swim in the penthouse pool of the 5-star hotel in which we stayed the final night. Now I love swimming, but my ears and water don't mix well. This place was so nice and private, I didn't stop to think of the potential problems -- an ear infection ahead of a 14-hour flight halfway around the world. To say the ear trouble made things uncomfortable with the high-altitude pressure would be a bit of an understatement. I actually had to get medicine and then get my ear drained after returning home. Good stuff.

The second snafu came as no surprise whatsoever for Carrie, who is constantly finding a little bit of anything and everything in the pockets of my pants come laundry time. Unfortunately, the folks who were doing my laundry in China didn't check my cargo shorts as closely. As a result, my passport lost its battle with an industrial washer. I have to admit, this caused a little consternation on my part before arriving at the airport for the return trip home. I envisioned all kinds of nasty possibilities stemming from a problematic passport, but fortunately the fellow checking me back through customs was an understanding and sympathetic chap. In some ways, I have to imagine this problem is a universal one...

Lastly, I had to take the time to add a few other pictures. Of all the amazing things I got to see and experience during the trip, among the most endlessly fascinating for me were the multitude of strange two- and three-wheeled mutant bicycle contraptions. I'm not sure why, but these vehicles captivated me -- I guess it was an interesting juxtaposition against the backdrop of a modern urban area and being that there were so many around, I couldn't imagine this being a central mode of transportation in any big U.S. city. So... I end with a few of these:

This woman and her kids jostled for position not only with buses and cars, but with pedestrians on the sidewalks.

These things were too cool. Invariably, there would be an older woman in the back compartment being driven around. As hot as it was, I couldn't imagine these tinder boxes not being like being in a blast furnace. But they were all over..

Bikes like this one above were all over, many of them LOADED precariously with tons of boxes and supplies that looked like they would spill off at any moment..

And lastly, these guys. We have these surrey-like bikes in the states too, of course, but probably not in as great a quantity. And many of these vehicles looked like they'd been around since the Ming Dynasty.. I brought plenty of souvenirs back with me, but if only I could have come home with one of the mutant vehicles! Perhaps next time,

Great Wall / Great Trip

I was originally scheduled to fly out of China the day after the Olympics ended, but when it became clear I wasn't going to have time to do a Great Wall trip, I knew I'd have to push it back, if possible. Fortunately, there was a spot on the flight the same daily flight the next day, so now I wouldn't have to kick myself for getting to China and not seeing the Wall.




Scott, Larry and I left the media village the morning after the closing ceremonies and went to the swanky Ritz-Carlton on the other side of Beijing. There, they had a half-day package to the Great Wall at Mutianyu where you get a tour guide, a van, a driver and passes for the lift to the top of the wall, all for 1800 RMB, or about $260 between the three of us.



As is common practice with these tours, they throw in a side stop along the way. Ours was at a plant where they did hand-made Chinese vases, urns, artwork, etc.. You get a quick tour through the shop where you see the process (above) and then there's the requisite gift shop at the end. Seems like it's a pretty standard practice at a lot of places. Since I'm a cheapo, I didn't buy anything...

Outside the factory was one of the many basketball hoops we saw during our trip. It's become one of the most popular sports in China with Yao Ming as the hometown hero, but also with the NBA being a HUGE draw. Kobe is a god here.

I was drawn to the lions alongside this beat up old hoop.

After about a 1 1/2-hour drive from our hotel, we get to the mountains and the base area for the Great Wall at Mutianyu, one of the seven sections that's open to the public. There's one a bit closer to Beijing called Badaling, but we're told this is better and less crowded. It's still quite popular and there's a lot going on at the bottom.

After getting out of the parking lot, we start walking up to the ski lift that will get us to the Wall itself. In doing so, we have to run a gauntlet of little shops where locals aggressively try to sell their wares, much of it the same, and as our guide warned us, most of it lousy quality..

After hopping in the cable car for a hot ride to the top that took a couple minutes, we were greeted by a pretty awe-inspiring sight..

Scott, Larry and I at the top.. The Wall itself stretched over 4,000 miles, just an unbelievable project that took millions of labors. Much of it is in disrepair now, but the seven sections open to the public have been restored and kept up. In other areas, it's been taken down or local villages have taken the stone to use for houses.

Our guide also told us they also say the Wall is the biggest cemetery in the world since millions of laborers who helped build it and died during its construction were also buried right in it...

Walking the wall is definitely not an easy stroll. It goes up....

And it goes down...

We walked just under a mile from Tower 14 over to Tower 6 and it was a pretty taxing hike.

There are A LOT of steps, many of them pretty narrow, so you have to walk a little bit sideways and all the stabilizing muscles in your legs are working constantly. We didn't even realize it at first, but then when we'd stop, our leg muscles would be shaking and spasming. It was definitely a good workout. Larry didn't come our direction, which was the more difficult route. He headed off to the left when we got to the top and took a more leisurely climb.

The wall itself is pretty big, well over 30 feet in places. And it's on the top spine of the mountain, so it's very imposing..

Here's a section with the steps heading down fairly steeply.. The legs aren't burning at this point..

Although it was hazy, it was still pretty hot on the Wall, so the towers made for a nice little respite. Cool and shaded, they invariably had some local who was set up just inside somewhere with a small cooler of drinks.

You know, when you have a GIANT wall on top of a mountain, how much more protection do you need, really? So we just let him sleep...

This was looking back up from the stretch we just hiked down. The plan, thankfully, was not to go back up and take the cable car back to the base.

Some very ornate carvings on one of the towers.. And of course the requisite grafitti from tourists..

And here's the plan to get back down.. At tower 6, there's a luge track. A metal chute that will take you all the way back to the bottom. There was really no question I was going to do this.

How could you not be convinced to take a toboggan down from the top of the Great Wall??

Simply had to be done.

You'd climb in the toboggan-like thing and there's a lever in between your legs. Push forward, you go faster, pull back and it slows down. Of course there's a lot of people going down, but there's a reasonable spacing and you just had to hope that you didn't get some slowpoke clogging the the way.

The run itself took about 5 minutes, which was pretty cool. I took some video on the way down, so have that to remember the fun... You could really gain some serious speed if the track was clear (and probably fly right off the sides), but there were too many other people to really open it up and the workers would be stationed at various curves in the course to yell at you when to slow down or pick it up. Was a good time. I made the run down, then stopped to have an ice cream at one of the shops and took the seperate chair lift back up to Tower 6 just so I could take the toboggan ride back down again.

Just an awesome experience all around. Needless to say, I'm extremely glad I moved my flight back a day so I wouldn't miss this..

Competition Over..

After 17 days of competition and even longer buildup, the Games finally drew to a close in Beijing.. Everyone is a little burned out and happy to see the light at the end of the tunnel.

Everyone here is VERY excited that we won't be seeing anymore of these jammed shuttle rides too! Anytime we want to go to the major events, the buses are just packed. This was the one I took to the men's volleyball gold medal match on the final day of competition. Great story with the U.S. winning it all, but the cozy shuttles to and from the venues, media center and media village do get a little old after a few weeks..

Ah, and the cattle call heading into the venues too.. Those will not be missed.

Had a little lightning storm the night before the final day of competition.. Sick of the shuttle rides, Dan and I would often just make the 20- to 25-minute walk home from the media center to the media village in the middle of the night, occassionally with a beer in hand. Stopped for a bit to try and get one of the big lightning cracks, but this was the best I could do behind the main TV tower decked out with the Olympic rings.

After the closing ceremonies, I made the late-night walk home with co-workers Nelson (from our Beijing office), Baynes (Sydney) and Grant (Singapore). We had to take one last pic in front of the Water Cube as it changed colors into the night..

We also stopped in at the Bird's Nest stadium It was just hours after the closing ceremonies, but they were already hard at work closing things down and taking everything apart.

So while they worked around us, we headed down to the track and got in the blocks for one final race.. Okay, so we didn't really run, but that's only because blowing out a hamstring or groin muscle would have been a lousy way to end the trip.

To cap the night, we headed to our usual spot at the media village -- the little bar area outside the food court. It's funny how this place evolved over the course of the competition. At first, the bar was inside and was brightly lit. It just wasn't a very relaxing atmosphere. At some point, people just started taking the drinks outside, then someone brought a chair out and then tables.. Eventually, the organizers realized they really should just move a bunch of tables and chairs outside every night. There were a few nights that we'd get back at 1 or 2 in the morning after working late and then end up outside until 4 a.m... And inevitably there would be some Brits out there until the sun rose and a massive collection of Tsingtao bottles.

Tsingtao was the official beer of the Beijing Olympics and was unquestionably the drink of choice for this trip. Lost count how many I had as we'd meet at the end of the day to decompress, rehash the day's stories, share tales from back home and talk about all the nonsense everyone has to deal with in their respective offices around the world. Some things are universal, whether its office politics or enjoying a cold beer and some good stories at the end of a long day... and longer business trip.

Ah, the end is finally here.