Live From Omaha

Unfortunately, I didn't really have the chance to blog live from Omaha as I said I would, because I didn't get back to the hotel until very late Monday and Tuesday night. However, it really doesn't matter, because everything I planned on writing can still be written and not lose its relevance. So, it's a little late, but here it is; my "Live From Omaha" special.

Day 1 (Monday, June 28th)

My brother and I got to the stadium around eleven in the morning, because we were going to get in line to upgrade our tickets. This would assure that not only my brother and I, but also my dad and other brother (who were at my brother's baseball tournament) would also get a seat at the game. My brother was smart enough to bring along a camera so that we could document our experience waiting in line, so you can watch the videos below to hear more about that.







After we got our upgraded tickets, we essentially had about six hours to kill. Since our dad was at my brother's game, we had no car and about a mile around Rosenblatt Stadium to work with. After going to the flea market for about an hour, we did the most reckless, exciting thing we could think of for the next two and a half hours; sit under a tree by the porta-potties. You'd think that sitting by twelve steaming portable toilets under a tree with very little shade would keep the ticket scalpers away, but you'd be mistaken. Eventually, most of the scalpers went across the street to the flea market, as they must have figured out that standing in the sun for five hours to make a two dollar commission on tickets is not the most effective way to make money.

At around three in the afternoon, the Fan Fest stuff started to set up outside the stadium. My brother and I decided that the Coke girls were much better looking than the Mello Yello ladies, so we spent the next hour or so walking around the Coke station taking free shots of Coke Zero. After about an hour of walking around pointing out the dimes, we found an area with picnic benches under shade. These picnic benches were not as intriguing as the porta-potties we sat by earlier, but nevertheless, the shade was nice. While sitting at the table, some older woman came up to us and asked us if we wanted a sticker. This is the point where I became a South Carolina Gamecocks fan. No UCLA fan was smart enough to adopt me for the series, and my brother had already bought a South Carolina hat, so it seemed okay to me as long as I made sure not to place the South Carolina sticker over the Ohio State logo on my shirt.

After the picnic tables no longer seemed like the hot place to be, we began to walk around again. A coach bus arrived in the parking lot, and my brother insisted on walking over to it, because he believed it was carrying the South Carolina team. This is the first of two times on the trip that I disagreed with him and he ended up being right. The sting of me being wrong (it stings because it's rare) was alleviated slightly by the fact that I became more pleased with my choice of adopting South Carolina as my team, as I noticed that South Carolina had the better looking female fans. This may have been because 75% of the fans at Rosenblatt were rooting for South Carolina, but it also could have been because no UCLA girls wore shirts that read "I Heart Cocks".

After the players got off the bus, we went back to the picnic tables to sit. At this point our patience was being tested, as we had been waiting for over five hours for our dad and brother to show up and they informed us that the team had decided to go back to the hotel before heading to Rosenblatt. Eventually they showed up, and we got in line (the short one, though, because we had upgraded our tickets) to get into the stadium.

When we got inside, the first thing we did was buy food. Now, before I go on, let me ask you all a question: When was the last time that your food cost more than your ticket? That pretty much sums up the story on the food, although to be fair, it was really good.

And now, for the game. It started out...no, I'm just kidding. This isn't about the game. It's about the experience, and (for the first game, at least) nothing happened worth noting in the stands. That pretty much wraps up Day 1.


Day 2 (Tuesday, June 29th)

We knew that Day 2 was going to be completely different than Day 1. My brother's game was later in the day, which meant that we didn't have to go down to the stadium and wait all day for my dad and brother to show up. However, that also meant that immediately after we got to Rosenblatt, we had to go get in the "General Admission" line behind the stadium because we didn't have reserved seating. I didn't believe that the line formed until around four, but that was the second of two times that I was wrong and my youngest brother was right. However, the sting of this one was not alleviated, as my brother was far more of an ass after we found out he was right. So, we walked behind the stadium and got into the line. We waited in line for about an hour or so, which wasn't that bad because four chicks with E,S,P, and N written on their shirts were by us and kept us busy. I would have preferred that "Entertainment" and "Network" had gone somewhere else, because it was pretty obvious from their girth that we really only came for the "Sports Programming", but I guess you have to take both the good and the bad.

Eventually we got into the stadium, and South Carolina was taking batting practice. Since we were in the General Admission section rather than the Reserved Seating section, I quickly noticed that the douche bag-to-normal people ratio was much higher than the night before. However, we got extremely lucky, as one gentleman sitting a few rows in front of us was easily the funniest fan I have ever witnessed at any sporting event. There are no words to describe him; you just have to see him for yourselves.



It didn't end with Barry. These videos aren't very good, as our camera is broken and you can't actually see what you're filming, but it's still worth watching. If you can't figure out what it is, look up "Erin Andrews Look Alike Streaking" on YouTube.





As I said before, this blog isn't really focused on the actual games, but my brother did get footage of the game winning hit, which I think is worthy of being posted.



That pretty much sums up my trip. Now that I've had a chance to experience the College World Series, I'm going to miss Rosenblatt Stadium. Personally, I don't think they really needed the new stadium. The majority of the people that come to College World Series aren't even true fans of any of the teams participating (myself included). They come for the atmosphere of Rosenblatt, and with the new stadium likely going to make ticket prices skyrocket, it's not going to fill up. They had a great thing in Rosenblatt, and it's cliche, but it will no longer be the same. I'm just glad I had a chance to experience The 'Blatt before it's gone.


- K. Becks

World Cup Preview: Groups A and B

The only news I have for you today before I begin my World Cup analysis is that the Division 1 College Baseball tournament has begun. The reason I bring this up is for two reasons; one is that I get the opportunity to attend some of the College World Series games this year, which is especially exciting because 2010 is the last year that the College World Series will be played at the famous Johnny Rosenblatt Stadium. The other reason I bring this up is because the game that is currently on TV, Texas A&M vs. Florida International, features a player that is currently riding a 54-game hit streak. His name is Garrett Wittels, and he is only four games away from tying Robin Ventura's record of 58 straight games with a hit, set back in 1987. FIU will have to win some games if Wittels hopes to break, or even tie, Ventura's record, so it should be an interesting Regional to watch.

Now, the start of my World Cup preview.

Group A
Teams: South Africa, Mexico, Uruguay, France

Match to Watch
France vs. Mexico (Thursday, June 17th)

In Group A, this game could potentially decide who wins the group. Thierry Henry, the 2006 Footballer of the Year, will lead the French attack. Although Mexico does not have any real international stars, they have a solid attack led by Cuauhtemoc Blanco and Javier Hernandez. If both these teams can get a win in their first match, then this game will be the biggest game in the group.

Player to Watch
Luis Suarez, Uruguay

If Uruguay wants to make it out of group play, then this is the man who will have to step up. He is one of Uruguay's top goal scorers, and when he isn't scoring, he is helping create chances for other top goal scorer Diego Forlan. Uruguay is a hungry team, and if Suarez plays well, they have the ability to surprise some people.

Final Standings

1. France- The best team in this group, they will be able to handle South Africa, and even a tie with the other two teams should get them through to the next round.
2. Mexico- They are aging and injured, but they have the experience edge over a young Uruguay team.
3. Uruguay- They will be exciting to watch, but are going to have a hard time beating Mexico, which is what they will need to do if they want to move on.
4. South Africa- The host team will be extremely happy to be playing, but their chances of moving on are low in a group featuring three other very talented teams.


Group B
Teams: Argentina, Nigeria, South Korea, Greece

Match to Watch
Argentina vs. Nigeria (Saturday, June 12th)

This game will likely determine who will win Group B. Unfortunately for the loser, it means that they will have to regroup and regain their focus, or else they could find themselves in big trouble. As far as soccer goes, this could be a high scoring game. Both Argentina and Nigeria have very good front lines, and Nigeria has had some issues on defense. Nothing like waking up to some high-octane soccer on a Saturday morning, right?

Player to Watch
Lionel Messi, Argentina

No surprise here. The 2009 World Player of the Year will be the most watched player in the group, and possibly in the entire tournament. He shouldn't have trouble getting his team out of the group stage, but we'll really see what he's made of in the knockout stages, where he could potentially have a quarterfinals date with always tough Germany.

Final Standings

1. Argentina- Other than the first game, Argentina shouldn't have too much trouble in the group stage. Diego Maradona may not be as talented a coach as he was a player, but pure talent should carry the Argentinean team into the Round of 16.
2. Nigeria- The Super Eagles (the nickname for the Nigerian team) may be the best hope for an African team to make it out of group play after injuries to Michael Essien and Didier Drogba hurt Ghana's and the Ivory Coast's chances. Their game against South Korea will be extremely important if Nigeria wants to move on.
3. South Korea- It's hard to leave South Korea out, as they are undoubtedly the best team in Asia. However, it will be extremely hard for them to outplay a Nigerian team that is very determined to do well on their home continent.
4. Greece- If you go back and look at the group Greece was part of in order to qualify for the World Cup, you wouldn't exactly be impressed. The surprise winner of Euro 2004, these guys will have one shot at qualifying for the next round; if striker Theofanis Gekas plays lights out for three games.


I am going to put up new polls every day so that the readers can vote on who they think will move on from each group. I'd also like to hear your comments about anything World Cup related, so you can either post a comment in the comments section, or email me at aroundthecornsportsblog@gmail.com. Thanks guys.



- K. Becks