Getting My $61.20 Worth

Last year, season tickets in the seat I have were $56.70 per game ($63 - 10%). This year they went up to $61.20 ($68 - 10%). Since preseason games were never that good to begin with, I always justified it as 8 games at full price and two preseason games at half price. So 8*63+31.5+31.5=$567 for the full season.

With the new pricing combined with a game in Mexico City, it is 7 games at the new, higher, full price and two preseason games at $37.40 each (or 55% of normal games). In other words, this year's preseason, on a relative cost basis, are 10% higher than last year's (not even accounting for the price hike that was also sent our way).

So adding to the disappointment of a significantly more expensive preseason, we get a Broncos team that does not intend to play their starters. We're paying to see a scrimmage of second teamers. Whoop-de-doo!

Easy to be a Fan Now

I realize that it's still just preseason, but they've looked so very good in their first team offense. I fully expect to watch a win on Friday simply because it means more to Dennis Green than it does to Mike Shanahan. As I understand it, Plummer and crew won't play more than a single series.

Still, It'll be nice to go to New York with a load of confidence at their backs. Go Cards!

But What About the Chiefs?

It occurred to me that in my rush to happily note my purchase of a ticket to win for the Cardinals in the Super Bowl that I haven't made any comments about their most recent encounter in Kansas City.

I didn't see all of it. Being away from home, I couldn't watch live (I was competing) and the hotels don't carry the NFL Network. So I watched when I got home and kind of wished that my Tivo would have failed to record it. As most fans know, the Cards won, but only because the second and third teams made up for the ineptitude of the first team. Up front blocking seemed to be the key, and there are plenty of reasons why, so I won't be too frustrated. That's why they play in preseason.

Vegas, Baby!

I shoot pool. Not very well, mind you, but I'm in a handicapped league, and our 9-Ball team made it to the national finals last weekend at the Riviera. We did well. Not great, but well enough. Of the 287 teams that qualified for the event (from among many thousands of teams), only 32 progressed farther than we did.

As long as I was in Vegas for the tournament, however, I decided to get in my bet for the Cardinals to win the Super Bowl. That's right, my $20 is down on the Cards to win (with a payoff of $1000 when they do). Go Cards!

New Uniforms, Old Frustration

A couple of pictures from last Saturday's game...


First, we have a picture of the opening kickoff. You'll note that the sun is still slightly out at this point. By the way, no matter what the people on ESPN say, I like the new uniforms. Note the sparse crowd even though it's the Cowboys. Hmmm.


And an action shot. But in this case, I was limited on the shots I could use. Since this was a night game and my ISO was not properly set, there was quite a bit of action that just turned out too blurry to use (this one is really not an exception to the rule). Note that this is the second team getting a very Cardinal-like one yard gain on a rushing play.

That Was a Beautiful Thing

It was great to go to a game surrounded by Cardinals fans for a change. The seat I have is not in a cheap section of the stadium, but since it is in the shaded portion (and has a back), the people who buy there tend to be loyal. That said, all too many of the seats just go unsold, and we regularly have visiting family of the opposing team. Maybe when the Eagles come to town, TO can serve his suspension in my section.

But I digress. This team looked fantastic on Saturday night. How many more days until 9/11 in New York (wonder what the halftime will be like)?

26.5 Hours and Counting

It's finally (almost) here. The opportunity to go to Sun Devil Stadium, with all the hope and expectation that attends a new football season.

How exciting to see my acquaintances over in Section 9, complete with the ability to glare at people who deign to bring beer into our section; the deep green of a carefully manicured, yet thoroughly unused football field ready for a new season; the view of millionaires getting ready to work themselves to exhaustion simply for my benefit (we don't thank the players enough).

For this season, my goal is to document the beauty that is football, and to be on the bleeding edge of the legion of Cardinals fans that will instantly sprout as so often happens when a team finds success.

Go Cards!

Hallelujah!

And I'm not even religious. With today's news, all the pieces are in place. It's time for the Cards to shock the NFL.

I was out today and drove by the stadium (my future cathedral). It was amazing to see so many workers standing on the roof doing their work. Ah, and now for Saturday to come.

Go Cards!

I'd Feel Better if Rolle Was Signed

But then that goes without saying.

As many people making blog entries do (I hate to call myself a "blogger" since I'm not that serious about it), I waste entirely too much time on the Internet. Today, I visited the ESPN site and looked at the SportsNation polls.

They had one about NFL jerseys. Which player would you buy? Would you buy Terrell Owens? How many do you own? I had to laugh when I got to the last question. "Are you wearing a jersey right now?" Yes, I'm wearing Rob Moore right now.

I love the scene in "Fletch" where Larry (Geena Davis) observes him and says, "Magic today?" He replies, "Yeah, Kareem's in the wash."

On any given day, for me, it will be one of Joyner, Hill, Williams (35), Plummer, Tillman, Moore, Smith (22), Boston, Wadsworth, Sanders. Notably, I tend to buy a player right before he leaves the team (true of all but Emmitt).