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Vincent's Journal

vincent
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12/27/2010 09:28 #53341

Fair-weather vs Masochism
Category: football
I just couldn't help but notice the stark contrast from two NFL games yesterday. I ended up going to the Tampa Bay/Seattle game which was played in 45 degrees featuring a team that if they won would guarantee themselves a winning record and still keep them in the playoff hunt. As opposed to a game played in below freezing weather with a team that is playing for a higher draft pick.

To be honest from my perspective anyone that went to that Buffalo Bills game and sat there futilely after the first drive which resulted in the Bills only points is just a masochist. Yes the tickets for the game are cheap compared to the rest of the league. The face value on the scalped Club seats that I sat in at Raymond James Stadium yesterday were $200 but for me it would take more than a collective excuse to get hammered drinking to keep me out freezing my ass off watching pathetic football in Orchard Park. Yet it the place had a healthy crowd! Is it that Western New York just goes out there like a victim of systematic abuse just to keep the perception that it is a healthy metropolitan area and an excuse to get bombed every Sunday in the Fall/Winter? I just don't get it.

I understand that Tampa fans are not big on Raheem Morris or the Glazer family. Their financial problems are not popular as well as they appear to be stuck quite a bit of money from Manchester United It's just to me that it is more than the cold weather that keeps Tampa Fans away. The economy also doesn't seem to be an excuse either as the mall where we parked to go to the game was to capacity. But to me it was just freaky to see a stadium half empty looking like a paper bag scene from the 1980's not a winning team.

Needless to say I had fun for $85 in the club level sitting around a couple of fun lesbian couples and a couple of guys from Chicago who did the game thing we did but paid only $75 for the row behind us. The funny part for me was to notice the "mile" long line that I witnessed for hot chocolate, those people must have waited a quarter to get to order. In my mind I would rationalize, "it's 45 degrees, it's above freezing, this isn't bad at all." Since I was wearing layers it was nice given that I also had a knit cap for when I come back to the BUF. Just watching the Floridians freeze and shiver was kind of hilarious. Some woman told me, "Just keep on telling yourself that you're warm maybe eventually you'll believe it!" Well Lady, I was warm as I spent the entire halftime show outdoors and not hiding in the club. What was scary was it seemed that the crowd didn't return for the second half as when I ventured back in to grab a drink the place was crowded. Also the stadium looked like the dying days of the St. Louis Cardinals in 1987 as it looked like it was at 25% capacity during the 4th quarter.

It is always a refreshing change of pace to be able to go another NFL stadium and enjoy a game in different surroundings. So I hope long term the Buccaneers stick around and don't get moved or anything else along those lines.
metalpeter - 12/29/10 09:50
Just Had to Ad I'm not Bashing Florida! I like Florida! I for a couple years was a Bucks Fan! Granted it was when John Gruden was the coach and that is why I was a fan! I'm been to FLA I few times Disney world twice I think as a kid. Then Miami for a few hours on to get on a cruise.... My Uncle lived in In Sarasota or at least right around there (hey I was a kid I only know what I was told) it was a nice house in a nice area....... For me Personally I don't think my Irish Skin can handle the sun and the heat though but a nice place to visit....
metalpeter - 12/28/10 16:05
I'm not one of them but I think there is an enjoyment factor of sitting out in the cold and taking it like a Man! Also In Buffalo we are real fans the team starts to do bad we don't get up and leave........ Now that being said though there is a difference between being a fan of the event and the team. You see this a lot with the sabres.... If the team gets destroyed it is still fun because of going to the event and eating there and routing for the team

Glad you had a good time. Don't get me wrong as cool and awesome as that pirate ship looks it is hard to take a Team Seriously that has one of those in the staduim .... Now I'm not Bashing Tampa but I get why 45 is cold to them Guessing it is about 30 degrees lower then normal temps so.......

12/25/2010 10:55 #53334

Just Pizza
Category: food
I thought I was going nuts when I saw a Just Pizza down here. Then I went to the website & got a confirmation that it indeed is a franchise on Clark Rd in Sarasota.

I also realized that Spot just open a place in Florida as well in Delray Beach although I have to say it is kind of funny how Yahoo! finance has the opening of a coffee shop written up.
metalpeter - 12/25/10 14:39
You Should walk in and ask them if anyone at this site worked in Buffalo and ask for a sample, and explain that Pizza in Buffalo has a certain taste and that if this tastes like Buffalo Pizza you will keep coming back or something like that...... I know that you can go online and Order there food and the freeze it or something like with LaNova and wings but had no idea they where down in FL.... In Terms of spot I knew they worked out a bit into canada. Also Mighty Taco has a location in some other city but don't know where.... Hope the pizza was good and hope Christmas was good to ya.......
tinypliny - 12/25/10 12:45
Spreading their evil cheesy fangs...

or stained claws in the case of SpOT

12/16/2010 01:14 #53283

Jobs/Growth Stats
Category: economy
I was just curious the other day as I saw Michael Milken on CNBC giving a synopsis of the findings of his Milken Institute.

To be honest I have been telling people for a year or so now, "I don't live in Western New York, I just work here." I am the total opposite of the secret class of people that actually in their mind live here in some place like Spaulding Lake but commute to Boston, New York, Washington DC making the big corporate/professional bucks, live in some studio apartment there and make it back her for a long weekend every 3 weeks to see their family.

Me I work here and get out of dodge at every possible opportunity I can grab. I don't want to rant about it because for the most part I've just accepted a few things and to be honest I have no desire to delve into it.

But here is why the one place where I would like to hang out in especially at this time of year is a no go as it is 191 out of 200 cities!

image

This is surprising but Buffalo isn't that bad off for jobs at 69 this year.

image

The one item that I found interesting was the fact that on the list of small cities, they were ALL for the most part college towns is UB keeping Buffalo alive? You can make that case with Ithaca NY being #12

paul - 12/16/10 01:51
Let's not forget "it's gorges".

12/06/2010 17:55 #53216

RIP Mark Dailey
Category: tv
A great icon passed away today. I used to love watching CityTv when I would go over to my relatives in Canada. The Late Great Movie intros were always awesome. Plus it was always interesting to see how the news was reported in Toronto.

The Lost Boys SO much better than any of the Twilight Crap we have now...


Streetwalkers I guess that's what Kirsten Dunst used to look at when she told her Mom to drive by the Meatpacking District so she could look at the "Hookies" ;-) Well it was before craigslist and the internet...



For me it was about the into for the Great Movie


12/04/2010 20:48 #53208

Kirsten Dunst Love
I've always thought she was hot. But any Hollywood Actress Scarlett is hot for the most part. Just that alone will get anyone to want you, period.

Now if you throw stuff out there where I feel a connection to you, then I fall in love with you.

First off she's depressed, I always seem to end up with women that are battling this for some odd reason.

Now She wanted her Mom to drive by to see the Hookers back when she was a kid in the 80's/Early 90's before Rudy You now have my attention!

So Yes, You're now my #1 Celebrity Crush

:-D

metalpeter - 12/06/10 18:00
Oh Times Square where the hookers used to be there, I'm sure there are many places where she can walk and not feel safe and she may quickly find out how unsafe NYC is (With out ever being there Red Hook Brooklyn). I've liked her for some time she seems pretty good in those Spiderman movies. I wonder if she looked at those ladies cause she thought they where hot, or wanted to stand out there with her stuff showing when she grew up, or found the power of it, or why she was drawn to looking at them................