Royalty w/o 3/19 in review

Rangers win 2-1 in OT!

After seeing a new record of four sporting events in one day and nine in three days, I had a sub par week with only six total. I can only play the cards I'm dealt. That goes for everybody in life. We only have so much time to enjoy the ride. Some days and weeks are better than others.

Here's how this week went for me:

Monday night after going back to work during the day, I went out to the Prudential Center in Newark, NJ to see the Nets host the Cleveland Cavaliers. I was pulling for the Cavs because of the great people I know from that part of the country. On that night, the Cavs didn't let me or them down. Since LeFraud abandoned his hometown area, the Cavaliers have been in rebuilding mode.

With that being said, the Cavaliers have since drafted well adding a few pieces of the puzzle to ultimately get them where they want to go. Of course, that is to get back to the NBA Finals and hopefully they'll win before LeFraud has a chance to do so again.

As for the game I saw with the King and our pal Vincent Ascanio, the Cavaliers trailed most of the game but they hung tough as they found a way to beat the Nets, 105-100.

They were led by their crowned jewels, the number one overall pick in the most recent NBA draft, guard Kyrie Irving from Duke and forward Tristan Thompson from Texas, the fourth pick in the same draft. Irving turned it up a notch in the fourth quarter as he helped lead the comeback by pouring in majority of his 26 points and he handed out 7 assists. Tristan Thompson added 27 points and he grabbed 12 rebounds as the Cavaliers won the game.

Based on those performances, the future has potential for the team from Northern Ohio. Time will tell if they can finish putting together the rest of the pieces of the puzzle. For starters, they're heading in the right direction.

Tuesday night after work I went to Madison Square Garden to see the Knicks play the Toronto Raptors. It was my 600th lifetime Knick game that I've seen in person at MSG.

As for the game, Linsanity returned to form at the mecca as he scored 18 points and he dished out 10 assists while his teammate Amar'e Stoudemire finished with 22 points and 12 rebounds as the Knicks blew away the Raptors, 106-87.

Wednesday night after work I went back to the Garden, this time to see the Rangers play the Detroit Red Wings. It was a match up of two of the best teams in the league.

As for the game I saw, the Rangers fell behind 1-0 as the Red Wings took the early lead. The Rangers hung around as they eventually tied the game at 1. The game wound up going to overtime. The Rangers' Ryan Callahan lit the lamp just past the midpoint of the extra session to give the Rangers' the 2-1 victory.
Thursday night after work, I went home to do my laundry. In addition, I was able to rest up and recharge the batteries for a short time as well.

Friday night after work, I went to Newark, NJ to see the Devils play the Toronto Maple Leafs.

I was rooting for the Maple Leafs' because our pal Sean McDonald is a big fan of theirs.

As for the game I saw, the Maple Leafs held a 3-1 lead but the Devils managed to tie the game and they forced overtime. After a scoreless extra session, the winner was decided in a shootout. The Maple Leafs wound up scoring three goals on three attempts to beat the Devils, 4-3. Unfortunately for them and our friend Sean it was too little too late as the Maple Leafs won't be making playoffs again this season.

Saturday I was out and about during the day taking care of some things I needed to do. At night I went with the King to see the Knicks as they played the Detroit Pistons at the Garden.

As for the game we saw, the Knicks cruised to an easy 101-79 win as Tyson Chandler was a force in the middle as he scored 15 points and he pulled down 17 rebounds.

The win was a nice way to bounce back for the Knicks after they got beat up the night before in Toronto who returned the favor from Tuesday night at the MSG.

Sunday afternoon the King and I took a Metro-North train round trip to Bridgeport, Connecticut where we went whale watching if you will. We saw the Sound Tigers, the NY Islanders' AHL affiliate play the Rangers' farm team, the Whale at Webster Bank Arena.

More importantly, I finally got to meet up with another sports fan and big fan of my blog, Greg Venuto. I got in contact with Greg a few years ago thanks to Danielle Granquist who lives in Denver. She's a big hockey fan. Through her website, hockee puck, which is on my blog list, Greg got in contact with her because he's a huge hockey fan himself. As a result, he got in touch with me via e-mail thanks to her.

After trying and failing to meet up at various sporting events, we finally made the right connection. Since Greg lives in nearby Norwalk, Connecticut he decided to join me for the Sound Tiger game.

We spoke and told each other different sports related stories which made for a fun filled afternoon and experience.

In addition, we got to witness an entertaining hockey game too. The Sound Tigers and Whale scored early & often as it was 3-2 Sound Tigers after the first period. Despite a scoreless second period, the Whale wound up tying the game at three in the third period. The Sound Tigers emerged victorious as they scored the game winner with just two seconds left in overtime to win, 4-3.

It was a great way to end an enjoyable day. I want to personally thank Greg for being able to breakaway from his wife and two kids so he could hook up with me.

I look forward to seeing Greg again in the near future. He does like baseball and the Yankees so hopefully it will be sooner than later.

Thank you for reading and following along.

Yours truly,

Gary Herman

Are you ready for some football? Royalty is!

With baseball season upon us, it's never too early to plan ahead for the future.

For openers, please see the link below:

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/09000d5d827e809a/article/giants-to-host-rival-cowboys-in-2012-season-opener?module=HP11_headline_stack 

As always, if you need my sports travel expertise please feel free to ask for it.

Thank you for reading and following along.

Yours truly,

Gary Herman

Official review of Goodyear Ballpark - Spring Training home of the Cincinnati Reds and Cleveland Indians

Here's my official review of Goodyear Ballpark, the Spring Training home of the Cincinnati Reds and Cleveland Indians of the Cactus League. If you plan to go to Arizona before the baseball regular season starts, I strongly suggest you take a look at what I wrote so you know what to expect before you get there.

http://www.stadiumjourney.com/stadiums/goodyear-ballpark-s1130

I officially joined forces with my buddy Paul Swaney as a Special Correspondent by doing reviews for him when time allows me to do so. I also plan to contribute to great team of writers who cover different sports venues in the United States and other parts of the World.

His website, Stadium Journey is on my blog list. Here's the link: www.stadiumjourney.com/

Please feel free to check out his amazing site which will educate you greatly if and when you decide to take a road trip to see a new venue or if you're just curious how life is in other parts of the country and/or the world.

When it comes to sports travel knowledge, I have plenty but I don't have the time to go in depth like his site does. Regardless you can always feel free to e-mail me and pick my brain.

I'm a team player so whenever I can help somebody else, I indirectly help myself too. I think if you follow my blog, you should do the same.

Life is short. Play hard. I do, I believe you should too.

I hope you enjoy my evaluation.

Yours truly,

Gary Herman

Carnegie Deli Welcomes Tim Tebow to NYC with the new JetBow Sandwich!

Welcome to New York City, Tim.

Like him or hate him, everybody wants to capitalize on the opportunity.

Please see the link below below on how the Carnegie Deli plans to increase their profit margin.

http://espn.go.com/newyork/video/clip?id=7733803

Tebow mania is here hopefully to stay. You can drink to it or if and when you get to experience the Carnegie Deli here in NYC, eat to it and enjoy to your heart's content. Just make sure you're extremely hungry, if not bring somebody so you can split it.

Thank you for reading and following along.

Yours truly,

Gary Herman

Royalty schedule w/o 3/26

Here's the game plan:

Monday March 26th Bucks at Knicks 7:30PM

Tuesday March 27th Blackhawks at Devils 7PM

Wednesday March 28th Magic at Knicks 7:30PM

Thursday March 29th Lightning at Devils 7PM

Saturday March 31st Bruins at Islanders 1PM

                                 Cavaliers at Knicks 7:30PM

Sunday April 1st Senators at Islanders 3PM

Check back to see how it played out.

Hope all my readers and followers have a great week.

As always, if you need assistance don't hesitate to ask.

Stay tuned for my w/o 3/19 in review.

If you like to tweet you can follow me on Twitter too. @royaltytoursusa

Furthermore, we can hook up on Facebook and/or Four Square as well.

With all the ways to communicate these days, we should always be in touch.

Remember team work makes the dream work.

Yours truly,

Gary Herman

Royalty returns to Albuquerque to see some special people and a tripleheader!

Isotopes Park 

The King and I left Goodyear, Arizona and we headed back towards Albuquerque, New Mexico which was 475 miles away. In addition, we lost the hour we gained coming to Arizona. We drove back to Holbrook, Arizona this time via all interstate road which was longer mileage wise but not time wise. We went up I-17 through Flagstaff then we picked up I-40 that goes to Albuquerque. We stayed another night at the Super 8 which was halfway to Albuquerque. We got some sleep and we left the hotel around 8AM Arizona time which is 9AM in New Mexico.

I arranged to meet Carole Hewes, who has lived her whole life in Albuquerque. We met her a few times thanks to our friend Steve Fekete aka the Padre Punk. She was with her boyfriend Dale who lived in Alaska for 16 years he said. We met them at a family restaurant called the Village Inn which is a West Coast chain. We met them at the location that was near the airport. It worked out perfectly as we arrived there around 12:30PM local time. We got to enjoy a meal together and we caught up on our past travels and adventures. Despite our so called "out of control" schedule I still found a way to meet up with them like I promised I would. It was an absolute pleasure to meet and greet them. I want thank them for being so accomodating and cooperative.

After we said our goodbyes, the King and I drove a few miles to the same area where I parked when we arrived on Thursday. We were going to see a college baseball game as the University of New Mexico Lobos were playing the Aztecs of San Diego State at 2PM at Isotopes Park which is also the home of the Albuquerque Isotopes, the Los Angeles Dodgers Triple A minor league affiliate. With the third round of the NCAA Tournament starting at 4:10PM with a doubleheader, we knew we had to leave the baseball early so we could round up some tickets to see the basketball games.

As for the baseball game we saw, it started slow so we knew we were going to see less of the game then we wanted to. Thankfully the Lobos put the game away early by building a 9-0 lead after five innings. It was 3:44PM so I decided I saw enough. The game was official so I was free to leave. The King decided to stay another half inning. The Aztecs broke the shutout by scoring two runs to make it 9-2. The Lobos tacked on two more runs as they wound up winning the game, 11-2.

I wound up rounding up a few single tickets outside the Pit for the third session. Tickets weren't as easy to get like they were on Thursday. I was able to get one ticket from a young lady for $32 after some wheeling and dealing. Shortly thereafter, a gentleman handed me a free ticket. I couldn't thank him enough. I shook his hand and the King and I went inside the building. We arrived with a few minutes to spare before the first game started. We wound up sitting in the same area as Thursday. We were once again joined by the Buffalo Boys, Andrew Kulyk and Peter Farrell aka USRT.

We spent the rest of the day and night with our sports travel pals. We got to exchange stories from our Friday adventures. While we were in Arizona watching Spring Training, those guys rented a car for the day and they went sight seeing in Santa Fe then they came back to see a college baseball game at Isotopes Park.
As for the basketball games we saw, the Wisconsin Badgers the four seed took on the fifth seed Vanderbilt Commodores. This was a closely contested affair as the Badgers were able to hold off the Commodores, 60-57 to advance to the Sweet 16.

In the second basketball game of the third round, the Baylor Bears met former Big 12 foe, the Colorado Buffaloes who now play in the Pac 12. This was a close game into the second half but thanks to Brady Heslip, the Bears' guard who knocked down nine three pointers in the game to finish with 27 points as the Bears pulled away and breezed past the Buffaloes, 80-63 to join the Badgers in the Sweet 16.

Late in the game, the Baylor backers, let the Colorado faithful hear it as they started chanting and I quote "Big 12 rejects". It was hilarious to say the least.

For those who lost count that concluded a stretch of nine games in three days for us while were out there. We saw six basketball games and three baseball games.

Before we decided to call it a night, we went out to dinner with the Buffalo Boys in downtown Albuquerque. We drove around the area and we wound up going to a place called the Standard Diner.

Since it was St. Patrick's Day it was only appropriate to have a corned beef and cabbage for dinner. Luckily they still had some left. So Peter and I made sure we both indulged accordingly. It turned out to be a tremendous meal with more great company.

It was a perfect way to close out an epic royal weekend.

We drove Andrew & Peter back to their hotel and we said our goodbyes. As always it was an absolute pleasure to see them again. We proceeded to go to our hotel so we could get some sleep before we caught our flight home Sunday morning.

I returned the car to Alamo after I safely drove 1,001 miles in the three days.

Fortunately we got out of Albuquerque before the bad weather arrived. We took United Airlines back home to LaGuardia with a layover in Washington DC-Dulles airport. We got back ten minutes early as we got in at 3:45PM.

As for the Buffalo Boys, their flight was delayed and eventually cancelled due to a dust storm in the area. They wound up leaving Monday to go home instead. Next time we meet up in May, we'll get all the details of their latest flying nightmare.

As for the King and I, it was another memorable weekend adventure.

Thank you for reading and following along.

Yours truly,

Gary Herman

Royalty sees more Spring Training baseball in Goodyear, Arizona!

View from Goodyear Ballpark

After seeing four games in a day in Albuquerque, the King and I settled for a double dip of spring training baseball.

After we went to the Scottsdale area for our first game, we decided to pass up a chance to see a Phoenix Suns game which was 20 miles west in downtown Phoenix right off I-10. They were playing the Detroit Pistons at 7PM. Instead we drove another 20 miles further west to Goodyear, Arizona to see our second spring training baseball game of the day.

Goodyear Ballpark is the spring training home for the Cincinnati Reds and the Cleveland Indians.
For the actual ballpark experience, please check back because I'm going to be doing an official review for the website, Stadium Journey who recently hired me as a Special Correspondent when time allows.

As for the game we saw, the Reds took an early 4-0 lead. The Rockies fought back late to get on the scoreboard. Chad Tracy who came into the game later on as a pinch runner ended a rally by getting thrown out at home plate in the top of the eighth inning. Ironically in the top of the ninth inning the Rockies threatened to tie or take the lead, the King predicted that Chad Tracy would end the game getting thrown out at the plate again and he did as the Reds hung on to win the game, 4-3.

Thankfully he was right because we had a long 475 mile drive back to Albuquerque in order to attempt to see another array of sporting events on Saturday. More importantly, I arranged to meet up with a lady we know from Albuquerque for a late breakfast/early lunch. I wanted to do everything in my power to make it happen since I told her I would.

Please stay tuned for the next installment from our latest royal getaway to see how it turned out.

Thank you for reading and following along.

Yours truly,

Gary Herman

Royalty sees Spring Training baseball at Salt River Fields at Talking Stick!

View from Salt River Fields at Talking Stick

After spending the night getting some sleep and gaining an hour due to the time zone change in Arizona, the King and I drove 174 miles to Scottsdale which is about 20 miles east of Phoenix. It was a gorgeous scenic ride as we drove through the mountains on a number of different state roads. I had to deal with five different speed limits which added to the challenge. As a result, it took longer than if it was an all interstate road.

We went to see our first baseball game of the year at Salt River Fields at Talking Stick which is the spring training home of the Arizona Diamondbacks and the Colorado Rockies.

We arrived in the area just before game time. There was a line of cars waiting to get into the parking lot. Since they was a massive shopping area there, I decided to park like I was going shopping that way we could get to the ballpark as fast as possible. The game was sold out too. We managed to find a few people outside who had extra tickets so we bought them and we raced inside.

Due to the circumstances we were up against, we wound up getting into the game in the bottom of the first inning just before the Diamondbacks scored the game's first runs against the White Sox who they were playing.

Thankfully we arrived just in time to see the action as the Diamondbacks went on to beat the White Sox, 4-2 in front of a record breaking crowd of 12,559. This is the second year the ballpark has been opened.

After the game, we headed 40 miles further West to Goodyear, Arizona to see another spring training game.

Stay tuned for the special post I'm going to do about that royal experience.

Thank you for reading and following along.

Yours truly,

Gary Herman

Royalty visits Albuquerque for the very first time!

The Pit - Home of the University of New Mexico 

The King and I woke up very early Thursday morning so we could get to LaGuardia airport to catch our 6:05AM flight on American Airlines to Dallas-Ft.Worth where we connected to our flight to Albuquerque, New Mexico. We landed and we arrived at the gate right on time at 11:15AM Mountain Time.

Upon arrival I rented a car from Alamo for the weekend. I reserved a compact car. I went out to pick a car and the young man told me they only had two left and they were hatchbacks which means they had no trunk. I told him I need a trunk. He said to go ahead and take the Chevy Cruze, a mid size car which was equipped with a XM radio too. He said it's a free upgrade. What a royal way to start the trip.

The King and I got in the car and off we went. Thankfully we were only a few miles from The Pit, home of the University of New Mexico Lobos basketball team where we were meeting up with Andrew Kulyk and Peter Farrell aka USRT from Buffalo. They're regulars when it comes to attending these kind of events. They arrived in Albuquerque on Wednesday afternoon. I wrote Andrew on the way to car rental so I could find out the parking options since we were in a rush. He said you could park right near the arena for $20 or he saw an area not far away where people were parking for free. He gave me the exact address. I went on google maps and I plugged it in. That turned out to be a blessing in disguise since we were pressed for time to make the opening tip off at 12:10PM for the first of four games that were going to be played. Mind you were still needed tickets. I wound up rounding up a pair for $50 for the King & I and we just got in the building in time for opening tip between the Wisconsin Badgers the four seed and the Montana Grizzlies a thirteen seed.

The Pit was hosting the second and third round of the NCAA tournament. In other words, a portion of March Madness.

We got in contact with Andrew and Peter and we all wound up sitting together for the game.
As for the first game we saw, it was somewhat close in the first half as the Badgers held the lead. In the second half, they pulled away as they moved on to the next round with a 73-49 victory. As for the Grizzlies, they were one and done.

As Jay Z says, it was on to the next one. In game two of the first session the fifth seeded Vanderbilt Commodores were taking on the twelfth seeded Harvard Crimson who were playing in the NCAA tournament for the first time since 1946. It should be noted that's where Jeremy Lin of the Knicks went to school.

On our plane ride from Dallas to Albuquerque, I did noticed a handful of people who were wearing their Harvard gear. It's safe to assume they were going to the game too.

As for the game we saw, the Commodores outlasted the Crimson, 79-70. Harvard hung tough but they ran out of gas in the latter part of the second half as Vanderbilt moved on to the next round.

After that game, we had to leave the building so they could get ready for the next session which was two more games.

Unlike Andrew and Peter, who had bought tickets in advance for all three sessions as a package, the King and I weren't certain of our game plan so we decided to wait and see. By doing so, we needed to find another pair of tickets outside so we could reenter the Pit for session two. Luckily they're were a number of people who were looking to dump extra tickets they had. I wound up getting a great deal $40 for a pair and we went back in once they allowed us to reenter.

We once again we reunited with Andrew and Peter and we sat in the same place that we watched the first session from.

This time we saw the third seeded Baylor Bears play the fourteenth seeded Jack Rabbits of South Dakota State.

As for the game we saw, the Jack Rabbits raced out to 8-0 lead but unfortunately for them they petered out fast as the Bears decked out in their wild neon green uniforms blew past the Jack Rabbits as they advanced to the next round, 68-60.

In the fourth and final game of the day, we saw the UNLV Runnin' Rebels, a sixth seed played the Buffaloes of Colorado, an eleventh seed who were playing in the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2003.
In the first three games we saw the higher seeded team won. Now the question was will we see four out of four.

Our friend Phil Butleman is a big fan of UNLV. Too bad he couldn't join us. In his absence, we were pulling for his team.

As for the game we saw, the Runnin' Rebels got run off the court by the Buffaloes much to the delight of the crowd which was mixed throughout the day. At night the Buffaloes who had the most support in the stands rose to the occasion as they beat UNLV, 68-64 to move on to the next round.

The King and I had a long day and we saw history because this was the first time we've ever seen four games in a day on any level.

The last game ended just before 11PM local time. After the game we dropped off Andrew and Peter at their nearby hotel. They were planning to go to Santa Fe to sight see on Friday during the day and they were going to see the University of New Mexico play a college baseball game Friday night.

The King and I decided to take a 400 plus mile ride to Arizona so we could take in a few Spring Training games while we were out there.

We drove to Holbrook, Arizona which was 234 miles from the Pit in Albuquerque to spend the night at Super 8.

Stay tuned as I will do a special post that will recap the way we spent our Friday out further West.

Thank you for reading and following along.

Yours truly,

Gary Herman

Royalty w/o 3/12 in review

This week turned out to be a very royal week of stadium travel. Some history was made along the way as well.

Here's how it played out:

Monday night after work I went out to Newark, NJ to see the Nets play the Milwaukee Bucks at the Prudential Center. It was a nice relaxing way to spend the evening since there was a small crowd on hand which included my pal Vincent Ascanio. That's understandable for a few reasons. First of all, it was only Monday night which is notorious for being the slowest night of the week. Secondly, the Nets haven't played well and to add insult to injury they were playing without their superstar point guard Deron Williams aka D-Will who got hurt in Charlotte during their road trip over the weekend. With that being said, I still expected to see a competitive game.

As for the game I wound up seeing, I was right on. The Bucks have played better lately especially because of forward Ersan Ilyasova who has been pouring it points and ripping down rebounds at a torrid pace. In February, when the Bucks were at the "Rock" he led the way with 29 points and he grabbed 25 rebounds before he fouled out with a few minutes to play.

This time he wasn't a factor in the game since he got two quick fouls early so he sat on the bench most of the first half. He wound up scoring only four points in the game. His teammates rallied together to pick up the slack. Brandon Jennings was the hero for the Bucks as he scored 34 points, pulled down 7 rebounds and he dished out 7 assists as the Bucks overcame the Nets, 105-99. The Nets lead most of the game but the Bucks kept it close. Late in the game, the Bucks turned it up a notch as they emerged victorious. On the bright side for the Nets, their forward Kris Humphries scored a career high 31 points and he grabbed 18 rebounds.

Tuesday night after work I went home and did my laundry. I passed up a chance to go to the Garden to see the Rangers because I needed to get my clothes washed, pack up my bags and get some rest so I would be ready for my big extended weekend getaway.

Wednesday night after work I did go to Madison Square Garden to see the ushering in of a new era of Knicks basketball. Earlier in the day, I heard that Knick coach Mike D'Antoni decided to resign. He mostly likely got fired but they reported it as a mutual decision by him and owner Jim Dolan. Mind you Dolan is one of the worst owners in professional sports who always likes to have positive feedback no matter what the circumstances are.

Mike Woodson who was an assistant under D'Antoni was named the interim head coach for the rest of the season. Woodson played for the Knicks back in the day in 1981. He was also been a head coach for the Atlanta Hawks in recent memory.

With Woodson aboard a new philosophy was instilled at the Garden. Unlike D'Antoni, Woodson is a defensive minded coach. It showed instantly as the Knicks shut down the Portland Trailblazers, 121-79.
It was a total team effort as Linsanity had a bad night. He finished with only 6 points and 6 assists. His teammates picked up the slack as they all contributed. Amar'e Stoudemire had 15 of his 17 points in the first half. Carmelo Anthony had 16 points all in the first half as well. In the second half, Steve Novak had 15 of his 20 points all three pointers. J.R. Smith scored 23 off the bench in the second half too.

The rest of the week I finished out West as the King and I flew out to Albuquerque, New Mexico early Thursday morning for fun filled getaway.

Stay tuned for the various special posts I'm going to do to recap the epic journey.

I know it will be worth the wait. It definitely lived up to the hype and then some. Please bear with me as I play catch up.

As always, thank you for reading and following along.

Yours truly,

Gary Herman

Royalty schedule w/o 3/19

Here's the game plan:

Monday March 19th Cavaliers at Nets 7:30PM

Tuesday March 20th Raptors at Knicks 7:30PM

Wednesday March 21st Red Wings at Rangers 7:30PM

Friday March 23rd Maple Leafs at Devils 7PM

Saturday March 24th Pistons at Knicks 7:30PM

Sunday March 25th Connecticut Whale at Bridgeport Sound Tigers 3PM

Check back to see how it turned out.

Hope all my readers and followers have a great week.

As always, if you need assistance don't hesitate to ask.

Stay tuned for my w/o 3/12 in review. In addition, I'll be doing some special posts from the March Madness in Albuquerque and Spring Training baseball in Arizona that the King and I saw in our epic getaway over the weekend. Please bear with me as I try to play catch up.

If you like to tweet you can follow me on Twitter too. @royaltytoursusa

Furthermore, we can hook up on Facebook and/or Four Square as well.

With all the ways to communicate these days, we should always be in touch.

Remember team work makes the dream work.

Yours truly,

Gary Herman

Royalty w/o 3/5 in review

1,000 NHL games for Petr Sykora

Monday morning before I went to work I went back to Avis to return the car I rented for the weekend. I wound up driving 637 miles safely over the two days.

After work, I came home and I did my laundry even though I was tired from having to get up an hour earlier than normal since I had to return the car.

Tuesday night after work I went out to Newark, NJ to see the Devils host their cross town rival, the NY Rangers.

In a pregame ceremony, the Devils honored their winger Petr Sykora who played his 1,000th NHL game on Sunday March 4th.

The Devils came in on a losing skid. On this night, Ilya Kovalchuk of the Devils set the tone early in this one as he lit the lamp just 49 seconds into the game. The Rangers tied the game later at one. It stayed that way as they headed into the third period. The Devils turned it up a notch as they crashed the net and they beat goaltender Henrik Lundqvist a few times to break the tie. They added an empty net goal late to wrap up a 4-1 decision.

Wednesday night after work I went back out to the Prudential Center. This time I went to see the Nets play the new and improved LA Clippers who traded for Chris Paul right after the lockout ended.

As for the game I saw, the Nets led big most of the game. The Clippers hung around late as it appeared like they were going to win the game. They took a brief lead in the closing minutes but Jordan Farmar of the Nets hit the game winning shot from beyond the three point arc with just .2 seconds left to win it in dramatic fashion for the Nets, 101-100.

The game featured two of the best point guards in the game today. Deron Williams of the Nets who had 21 points and 10 assists and Chris Paul of the Clippers who came on late to finish with 22 points and 10 assists.
The other battle in this game was between Kris Humphries of the Nets who had 12 points and 11 rebounds and Blake Griffin the young rising star of the Clippers who finished with a game high 28 points to go along with 17 rebounds. He worked very hard to get his stats up. Throughout the game, they gave each other a physical beating. In the end, Humphries got the last laugh because his team won the game.

Thursday night after work, I went back to Newark for more Devil hockey. This time they played the other NY team from Long Island, the Islanders.

The Devils took an early 2-0 lead as Ilya Kovalchuk scored again. When he scores the Devils win. The Islanders cut the lead in half at 2-1 then Kovalchuk scored again. In the third period, Kovalchuk added his third goal which gave him a hat trick. The Devils cruised to a 5-1 victory.

Friday night after work I went home since there were no games to attend in the area. Thankfully it worked out that way since I was running on fumes. I needed to rest up and recharge my batteries.

Saturday during the day I got to catch up on sleep and I cleaned up around the house. At night I went back to Newark, NJ to see the Nets play the Houston Rockets.

This was a very well played game. The Rockets wound up outlasting the Nets in a good competitive affair as they beat the Nets, 112-106.

Sunday after turning the clocks ahead, I went to Madison Square Garden to see the Knicks who returned home after a brutal 0-4 road trip to take on the surprising Philadelphia 76ers at Noon.

The King and I were there along with our friends Rich Wolber aka Staten Island Rich and Al Linderman who were also in the building hoping to see some more Linsanity.

As for the game we saw, Jeremy Lin is starting to come down to earth it seems. He did manage to score 14 points and he dished out 7 assists but it wasn't enough as the 76ers who were lead by Lou Williams who scored 28 points off the bench and Evan Turner their second year pro from Kentucky who added 24 points and 15 rebounds which proved to be too much for the Knicks to handle as they fell to the 76ers, 106-94.

After the game, the King and I met up with our pal Manny Bonilla who contacted me during the game and he asked me if I could get him a ticket for the Devil game against the Flyers out in Newark. He said he never went to a hockey game. With that being said, I found a way to make it happen for him.

Manny's a good kid. It was a pleasure to accomodate him.

As for the game we saw, the Devils continued their hot streak at home as they knocked off the Flyers, 4-1. Ilya Kovalchuk had a goal and two assists to lead the way again.

What a week it was for the Devils and Kovalchuk as they continue their playoff push up the standings.

Thank you for reading and following along.

Yours truly,

Gary Herman

Royalty schedule w/o 3/12

Here's the game plan:

Monday March 12th Bucks at Nets 7:30PM

Wednesday March 14th Trailblazers at Knicks 7:30PM

Thursday March 15th NCAA Tournament Round 2 in Albuquerque 12:10PM MT

Wisconsin vs. Montana

Vanderbilt vs. Harvard

Baylor vs. South Dakota State

UNLV vs. Colorado

Friday March 16th White Sox at Diamondbacks 1:10PM Scottsdale, Arizona (Salt River Field at Talking Stick)

Rockies at Reds 7:05PM Goodyear, Arizona

Saturday March 17th San Diego State Aztecs at New Mexico Lobos 2PM MT (Isotopes Park)

Check back to see how it played out.

Hope all my readers and followers have a great week.

As always, if you need assistance don't hesitate to ask.

Stay tuned for my w/o 3/5 in review.

If you like to tweet you can follow me on Twitter too. @royaltytoursusa

Furthermore, we can hook up on Facebook and/or Four Square as well.

With all the ways to communicate these days, we should always be in touch.

Remember team work makes the dream work.

Yours truly,

Gary Herman

A Royal Birthday Celebration for the Prince!

Prince at the Pavilion

After I got out of work Friday night it was time to start the royal celebration.

I met my parents in Astoria where I now live and we went out for dinner at Romano's Famous Pizza and Gyro. They serve Greek cuisine. It was a great way to reunite with my parents and I got to have a nice meal too.

Afterwards I went home to rest up for the busy weekend I had lined up.

I got up Saturday morning which was my birthday and I took public transportation out to where I used to live so I could go to Avis to pick up a car for the weekend. I did get treated to some royal treatment as the MTA didn't let me wait too long for the buses and trains I needed to take in order to get there.

I wound up renting a Crown Victoria which had plenty of room. I got in touch with my pal Eddie Pelle who was on his way to the Philadelphia area via public transportation from Long Island. He was also going to Villanova, Pennsylvania to see the Wildcats play the Cincinnati Bearcats in a college basketball game. The King and I were doing the same.

I called Eddie when I got into the car. He said he was in Queens so I arranged to meet him after I went back home to pick up the King. It worked out well as we got him by the entrance to the Queensboro Bridge and away we went.

We arrived in Villanova around 1:40PM which gave us enough time to get ready for the 2PM tip off.
We also met up with Andrew Van Cleve aka the Ultimate Sports Fan and his son Dylan aka the Ultimate Sports Baby.

I love seeing the "USB" if you will. He's adorable and he's getting so big.

Ironically we were all visiting the Pavilion, which is the home of the Villanova Wildcats' basketball team on campus for the first time. They play a handful of games there. They play the rest at the Wells Fargo Center where the Flyers and 76ers play.

It was a thrill to finally see a game there. It was very intimate since it only holds 6,500 people. The seating area is comprised of mainly benches that are very close to the action.

As for the game we saw, it was a competitive one right throughout. The Wildcats who are having a bad season wound up coming up short as the Bearcats of Cincinnati beat them, 72-68.

After the game, we said goodbye to Andrew and Dylan. They went home. Eddie, the King and I continued on to Washington DC where we went to see the Wizards play the Cavaliers at 7PM.

We stopped off in Baltimore first so we could pick up our friends Peter and Carmen Agnew. We got them just after 6PM. Thankfully Peter had a parking pass for the garage that's connected to the Verizon Center since we had no margin for error as we arrived right at game time. In addition, Peter arranged to get us all free tickets for the game. He always asks us to come down so I looked at the schedule once the lockout ended and this was the perfect time to go there.

As for the game we saw, the Wizards they've had a horrible season so far but on this night they found a way to win, 101-98. It worked out well for our friend Eddie who said this was the first time he had ever seen the Wizards win live. I was glad to help arrange for him to join us.

After the game, we drove Peter and Carmen back home. They live right near Looney's Pub, where we went to get a late dinner since we were all very hungry. The burger and chicken wings we had we tremendous as usual.

After we ate we dropped Eddie off at the Amtrak station because he wanted to get back home to see some college basketball in NYC on Sunday.

The King and I drove 30 miles to Aberdeen to Super 8 where we spent the night. We arrived there around 2:30AM.

We got some sleep then we got up in the morning and we drove back to Baltimore to have breakfast with Peter and Carmen at another of our favorite eateries in the area, Eichenkranz Restaurant which is located in a local neighborhood.

We were served by Rose, who loved my accent. Needless to say, the food, the service and the company were priceless and well worth driving the extra miles for.

After we parted ways with Peter and Carmen, we headed towards Philadelphia where we were seeing the 76ers play the Bulls at 7PM.

Since we had plenty of time to kill, we decided to stop off at the Hollywood Casino which was conveniently on the way in Perryville, Maryland off exit 93 on I-95.

We spent a few hours there pressing our luck on the slot machines. I had some luck but the King didn't. Regardless it was entertaining experience.

We got back in the car and we drove to the City of Brotherly Love. We arrived there around 4:30PM. It worked out well because we got to meet up with our friend Rich Wolber aka Staten Island Rich who took a Chinese bus from NYC to join us for the 76er game. We went to the bus terminal and we picked him up.

On the way to the Wells Fargo Center, we stopped off at the Oregon Diner to have dinner before the game.
I thoroughly enjoyed my meal there. You can't beat the value you get there. I had broiled flounder with crab meat stuffing which came with two sides and a small cup of soup along with rolls and cornbread for a mere $9.99. They have a nice variety of food items for that price that they offer everyday.

After I stuffed my belly, we drove over to the arena which is right nearby.

We met up with our friend Frankie Centola who got us tickets for the 76er game. We also were joined by Andrew Van Cleve who got a ticket outside on the lower level from a buddy of Joakim Noah, who plays center for the Bulls.

At halftime, I got a royal upgrade as I went down to sit with Andrew who had a few empty seats by him.
As for the game we saw, the 76ers led into the fourth quarter but the Bulls led by their superstar guard Derrick Rose who had 35 points and 8 assists held off a late 76er push to win 96-91. Joakim Noah had 11 points and 18 rebounds to help the cause.

After the game, I drove Rich back home to Staten Island. I got him back just before midnight. I proceeded to drive the King to work at the Post Office at Grand Central Station. I got him there at 12:40AM so he had plenty of time to relax and unwind since he starts at 2AM.

I finally arrived home just before 1AM. I went to sleep and I returned the car in the morning.

I want to thank everybody who remembered my special day. I had a blast all weekend long.

Thank you for reading and following along.

Yours truly,

Gary Herman

Royalty w/o 2/27 in review

This was another week where I just fell short of having a royal week of Stadium Travel.

The week started rough because I had to starve all day Sunday into Monday morning so I could be ready for a colonoscopy that I had scheduled for Monday morning. I could only drink liquids. With that being said, I didn't go to work.

I wound up meeting my sister Abbey who took me to the doctor's office. I needed her to take me home because I wasn't allowed to leave on my own.

As for the colonoscopy, I got an injection that put me into the twilight zone so I didn't feel a thing during the procedure. When it was all said and done, I checked out with a clean bill of health. Due to family history, I was told to take the necessary precautions just in case so I wisely listened to that advice. I'm good for another three to five years now in that regard.

Despite the fact I've been everywhere there's no need to let up yet so I don't want to suddenly have a health issue if I can do something to prevent it. Unlike many people I know, I incorporate visits to the doctor when it's deemed necessary into my rigorous work and play schedule. For example, I always go for a yearly check up. By doing so, I increase the chances that I can live longer and enjoy what life truly has to offer.

In order to have a full life barring a freak incident along the way, you need to make your health your top priority. In that case, my lifestyle needs a break once in a long while so I can continue on for the long haul I hope.

After starving for so long, I took my sister out for a late breakfast on the way back home. After I rested up during the afternoon, I went on my way back to living the life of royalty.

I went to Madison Square Garden that night to see the NY Rangers play their cross town rival, the NJ Devils. The game itself was rather boring. Both teams barely had any shots on the goal throughout the game. The Rangers got an early goal which proved to be the difference as they added an empty net goal late to beat the Devils, 2-0 as their goaltender Henrik Lundqvist recorded his eighth shutout of the season.

Since it was a rivalry matchup, tempers flared during the match as the Rangers' Mike Rupp, who used to play for the Devils and the Devils' David Clarkson both were in and out of the penalty box for causing havoc on the ice a number of times during the game.

Tuesday I went back to work and afterwards I came home to relax since there were no sporting events in the area to attend.

Wednesday night after work on "Leap" day I went back to Madison Square Garden for another dosage of Lin-Sanity as the Knicks were hosting the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Before the game, I treated myself royally as I indulged in a huge corned beef and pastrami sandwich on rye bread from the Carnegie Deli stand at the Garden. I know how to get the both of all worlds when I have the time and money to do so.

After enjoying my meal, I went to my seat to enjoy the game.

As for the game, I got to see Lin-Sanity as he paced the Knicks with 19 points and 13 assists. Steve Novak came off the bench to drain five three point baskets in the second half to help sink the Cavaliers who had a twelve point lead at halftime. The Knicks went on to over take the Cavaliers as they raced off with a 120-103 victory.

I did get to see rookie Kyrie Irving, the Cavaliers number one draft pick out of Duke play for the first time live. He was impressive as he scored 22 points. Unfortunately the Cavaliers ran out of gas in the second half. It should be noted that the officials didn't help their cause either. That's the way it is in the NBA when you're the road team.

Thursday night after work I went to downtown Brooklyn to see LIU aka Long Island University Blackbirds play the Pioneers of Sacred Heart in the Northeast Conference quarterfinals.

I was there with the King and our friends Frank Anichiarico and Larry Peim who graduated LIU back in the day.

As for the game we saw, the Blackbirds managed to beat the Pioneers, 80-68 to advance to the next round.
Stay tuned for a special post that I'm going to do that will recap my royal birthday celebration weekend.

Thank you for reading and following along.

Yours truly,

Gary Herman

Royalty schedule w/o 3/5

Here's the game plan:

Tuesday March 6th Rangers at Devils 7PM

Wednesday March 7th Clippers at Nets 8PM

Thursday March 8th Islanders at Devils 7PM

Saturday March 10th Rockets at Nets 8PM

Sunday March 11th 76ers at Knicks 12 Noon

                                Flyers at Devils 7PM

Check back to see how it turned out.

Hope all my readers and followers have a great week.

As always, if you need assistance don't hesitate to ask.

Stay tuned for my w/o 2/27 in review. In addition, I'm going to do a special post that recaps my royal birthday celebration weekend.

If you like to tweet you can follow me on Twitter too. @royaltytoursusa

Furthermore, we can hook up on Facebook and/or Four Square as well.

With all the ways to communicate these days, we should always be in touch.

Remember team work makes the dream work.

Yours truly,

Gary Herman