His team was given a gift with the Harbaugh suspension, the resulting investigation, and all the turmoil it caused and they still couldn't capitalize on it. That's the asterisk.
I agree. The world needs more good stories, even if there's an element of tragedy to them. But for me, there are some things that cross the line, like school shootings. My son and I drove cross country and listened to Shane Gillis, who is very adept at un-PC comedy. I laughed at pretty much everything except the joke about a school shooting, Just couldn't go there.
I'm usually a bleeding heart and can find something to feel badly about when it comes to sports teams losing but not in the case of MSU. That fan base is loathsome and after their response to Conor Stalions, the athletic department and Izzo can go f* themselves.
Warde haters are pretty myopic, not just in the way you stated but in thinking there's only one way that an AD does his job successfully, and that all successful AD's are basically the same. They seem to leave Michigan, itself, out of the equation. Michigan has certain standards that other schools don't and that has nothing to do with Warde. He has to work within those parameters, and they're parameters that sometimes work against putting together a successful team. I'm not saying he's the perfect AD, I'm just saying that there's a lot more to his job than people willingly acknowledge.
The past couple of years, we've had terrible hail storms, with hail the size of baseballs. One storm was so bad that anyone who parked on the street was on the phone with their insurance companies the next day, trying to get all the dents and cracked windshields taken care of. And those suckers went horizontal and tore holes in the screens on our windows. We had to get them all rescreened.
I love NY pizza. When I was in middle school back in the late 70's, I lived in a town right outside Manhattan and there was a place called Four Corners Pizza. The guys who owned it and worked there were from Italy and had chest hair so dense, you couldn't see any skin underneath. They made the best NY pizza and yes, slices. Every day after school I'd get a slice and an orange soda and yes, the slices were reheated, and they were amazing.
I've looked at Gozney's too. I like the idea of wood burning but we have a gas hook up so could do gas as well. I like the Gozney Dome. It's very expensive, though. We've also looked at Alfa's but they're even more expensive. I have a Weber with a carbon steel insert but there's a hole in the middle that provides for a direct flame -- good for burgers, bad for pizza making.
Calling someone 'anti-Rosa Parks' just because they thought the protesters were disruptive at the graduation is a pretty big stretch. My daughter goes to NYU and has been prevented from getting into the library by protesters on several occasions and that pisses me off. Am I anti-Rosa Parks?
Just for perspective, I was one of the people who protested during my own graduation. 1987, against apartheid. I don't know how many of us there were, several hundred, but during the ceremony, when keynote speaker Mike Wallace spoke, we all stood in silence and put our backs to the stage. Many of us had anti-apartheid slogans stuck to our backs. The guy sitting behind me may have been pissed because I blocked his direct view of Mike Wallace, but other than that, we made the issue known without otherwise disrupting the ceremony. We sat back down when he was done. During that same period, there were shanties set up in the Diag. The administration left them alone because they didn't prevent anyone from going about their business. Yet they were there every day, a constant reminder of what was going on in South Africa.
You're going to equate this with Rosa Parks? Rosa Parks quietly asserted her own rights without disrespecting the rights of others. It was one of the most remarkable forms of protest, a disregard of the rules but it was unassailable because it wasn't disruptive. It was the most normal of actions -- just quietly riding a bus, which shined a light on the naked bigotry of her detractors. Brilliant.
I know a kid who was a talented athlete but whose parents told him he was better than everyone else and that pretty much sunk him. He just couldn't work hard and take any kind of direction, and he flamed out early in high school. They had such lofty dreams for him (telling him when he was in middle school he might be playing football for Oregon someday) and didn't take into account his lack of maturity or the fact that talent is great but if you can't grind it out, no coach is going to want to deal with you. And he certainly wasn't talented enough for a coach to look the other way on that.
My father died 6 years ago and I have his collection of baseball stuff from the 1940's. When I say stuff, it's mostly autographs of entire teams, clips from the newspapers, and letters he wrote to teams, with their responses. He was around 10 or 11 at the time and he'd go to the hotels where they were staying and all the players would autograph a lined sheet of paper. He wrote a few teams asking for autographs, and he'd get a sheet of paper back with all their autographs (or at least a lot of their autographs). I haven't seen anyone super famous but there are a few good ones in there.
I see someone act like this and I think this is exactly how some adult treated him at some point when he was younger. This is learned behavior. Some adult did him wrong. (the other day, I was driving and heard females yelling at each other. I thought it was two teenagers fighting. I looked over to see a mother and daughter walking down the street. The mother hit the teen girl, who was probably 15, and screamed at her, "That was a dumbass move! You're a dumbass!" And I thought this is how it's perpetuated)
And as much as people complain that it's slow, because of that, it doesn't require constant attention. It's a great sport for people who want to have a social evening out. You can go to a game with friends and talk, drink, and socialize and only sort of pay attention without missing the biggest moments. In that way, it really is a pastime -- an enjoyable way to pass the time in a social environment with a game as the background noise (if that's what you choose). When I go to games, I sit as close as I can to the field. I like to feel the energy of the players. I especially like to watch the pitcher. It's a contemplative game, much of it is confidence. I think it's funny (funny odd) that players who are as skilled as big leaguers can lose their confidence. That is the most intriguing part of baseball to me. These guys are so good, but you lose the feel during one game, a particular pitch isn't working, and it can spiral downwards. I mean, how is that possible when you've been doing something so well for so long?
I agree, it is hard to sell it to younger people and I think that's more the result of attention span as it relates to entertainment. They've grown up with instant gratification by way of screens/video games. Baseball requires patience from the fan. The action ebbs and flows, and sometimes there isn't much action at all. And from afar, it doesn't seem to require a ton of skill (and then you play the game and realize that catching a tiny ball while running full speed forward while looking backwards is way harder than it looks, and hitting a 98 mph fastball even for the best players is close to impossible). I really enjoyed the college game. The skill level isn't anywhere near even minor leaguers but I think that and the mistakes keep it interesting.
Count me as someone who understands the attraction but doesn't like them. Because of my kids, who played throughout high school and one in college, and my husband who is a huge baseball fan, I've developed a love of baseball. I like it more than football now. Incidentally, one of my son's college teammates played for them the summer after his junior year. I think it was on their collegiate team, which may not exist anymore. That was straight baseball. No stilts, no song and dance. I think of the Bananas as spectacle, not sport, even though all the players are good.
Harbaugh won the NC. Knowing what we know of him, it was clear he'd move on after that. Nothing left to prove, no challenge left there. He's never been the Nick Saban type. If he were to win the Super Bowl next year, it would be interesting to see the trajectory of his career after that. You can say that you'd stay as hungry to win a second one, but who knows?
I was at the Women's Football Academy when he was on the team and I sat with him and Patrick Omameh at lunch. He was personable in that venue. I told him I had lived in Scottsdale for a few years in middle school and had I stayed, I would've gone to the same high school as him, so that sparked some good conversation. Obviously, there were some other things that happened while he was at Michigan, but during this event, he was likable and friendly.
My son actually did this exact thing his first time driving with a permit, but on a side street. Slow hit a car going 1 mph as I yelled, "Stop! Brake!" And of course it left a dent so we had to leave a note and pay for the damage.
My son started a little earlier than that. But what's really remarkable is that they actually grow up and mature. There were many times when I didn't think that was ever going to happen.
If there's one thing that can make you feel humility, pride, and every emotion in between, it's having kids. Congrats to all the graduates! May you all find work that's fulfilling and interesting.
My time at Michigan had no direct impact on what I ended up doing as a career, but I was exposed to a lot of different ideas and people and I think that was invaluable. If someone wants college to train them for a career, there are lots of options including trade school (as well as medical, dental, pharmacy, law, and engineering). But my liberal arts education was far from a waste of time or money. By the same token, college is so prohibitively expensive now that I can see why someone might think that a job should immediately pay back all that tuition. But ultimately society benefits from having a well-rounded, well-informed population.
I'm so old that I wrote my applications by hand and the essays in long hand. And for the life of me, I can't remember how I got them without the internet.
My understanding of Texas admissions is they admit less than 10% out of state students. They really prioritize in state. My daughter has a friend who got into UT OOS. She was a good, not great student, but I think it was her specific interest. She wanted to major in education and is bilingual (English first language and Spanish). I think she must've ticked all the boxes in that major.
I'm not sure if colleges rely on standardized tests because they are actually predictive of success in college or because it allows them to sift through those thousands and thousands of applications more quickly.
My daughter sort of had the opposite thing happen. She had a list of schools and started applying, without a clear favorite. She started to get anxious about getting into any of them, so decided to pick one school and do early admission. She did end up getting in and going there but I think it probably wasn't the best school for her, and she really only did it to avoid all the angst of waiting for answers. She hates uncertainty and just wanted it done.
I couldn’t get into Michigan today with my CV from 1983. Zero extracurriculars. Not great test scores. But I went to a college preparatory school that was so rigorous, freshman year in college was a breeze and any class that required I write papers was the same. (Thank you to my sophomore English teacher who I thought was a huge asshole at the time for giving me C’s on papers but his exacting standards pushed me to really learn how to write a good college paper). So my early struggles in high school paid off in college. My daughter is at NYU and given the ridiculous tuition, I can tell you it’s not worth it from a return on investment standpoint. She’s not in business school, not going to law or medical school, and not an engineer.
It's hard to imagine a scenario where people sign that agreement after getting married unless both parties are of equal worth. At that point, you sort of know who has the upper hand financially, so if you're the other person, you'd want your fair share, but if you're the person with the money, you'd be pretty protective of it. Plus, it brings up the idea that this marriage might not last. Before you get married, you think that will never happen to us. After you're married, you may have a more realistic view of your relationship. Awkward.
After having been out of the city for 22 years, I can't believe how much development has taken place in West Town and just south of there. It's like a whole new world. We really like it. My only complaint is the traffic at rush hour. I try not to drive then.
I just moved to Wicker Park from Evanston and just don't feel the whole crime thing. I've lived in Chicago (Lincoln Park), and then Evanston, my entire adult life, and am from downtown Chicago originally and I just don't see what other people are seeing. I have an acquaintance from Lake Forest who asked me, "Aren't you scared there?" NO, what are you talking about?! I walk around by myself all the time, and take walks in neighborhoods that would probably be considered sketchy by some. Would I walk around at 1 AM by myself? No, but I wouldn't have felt comfortable doing that in Evanston, either. Is there crime in Chicago? Yes. Is it overtaking the city? No. I do agree that Mayor Johnson probably isn't the guy. Chicago is a complicated city.
Love em or hate em, the Ricketts have invested a lot of money in Wrigley and the surrounding area. They've been so successful, they formed a consultancy that other teams hire to help them develop the areas around their stadiums.
When was the last time you were at Wrigley? They've done SO much work in the past 8 years, like new everything while staying true to the friendly confines. As for the fans, I just saw a clip of Theo talking about the difference between Chicago and Boston fans. His take is pessimism vs optimism. Boston fans are waiting for something bad to happen and that affects their demeanor. High expectations, perennial disappointment. Cubs fans are used to losing, and 2016 was such a gift but it didn't give the fans unrealistic expectations.
I don't know when you were there last but my husband works at Wrigley, has been at every home game for the past six years. The bathrooms have all been redone, the concourse has been refurbished and opened up, the seats are all new (within the last 5 years). It's all new within the context of an old park, with all its history and vintage charm. Plus, the views from inside the stadium are awesome. To see the Blue Angels or the Thunderbirds fly over during the air show, and then fly back to the city in the distance is one of the best of all Chicago experiences. And Cubs fans are there for a good time. There's nothing wrong with that.
We spent a week in Phoenix during spring training. Sloan Park (Cubs) is a miniature version of Wrigley and really fun. The Giants new practice facility where they play games is awesome. It's in a park surrounded by red boulders. Players were just walking around. We watched a AA game and sat next to a group of players, not sure what level but not major leaguers, and my husband chatted with them a bit. The fields were laid out like a lot of little league complexes, like a four leaf clover. The Cubs complex has this, too, where you can watch four games at once (not the major league games, those are at Sloan), and you're basically co-mingling with players and coaches as they walk around. We watched Javier Assad pitch in what my son called a "Feel Good outing" and it's like being at a little league game with major leaguers. And those games are free.
Recent Comments
His team was given a gift with the Harbaugh suspension, the resulting investigation, and all the turmoil it caused and they still couldn't capitalize on it. That's the asterisk.
Yeah, that comment needs to go.
I agree. The world needs more good stories, even if there's an element of tragedy to them. But for me, there are some things that cross the line, like school shootings. My son and I drove cross country and listened to Shane Gillis, who is very adept at un-PC comedy. I laughed at pretty much everything except the joke about a school shooting, Just couldn't go there.
"...Aaron Rodgers, a conspiracy theorist who moonlights as an NFL quarterback."
LOL
I'm usually a bleeding heart and can find something to feel badly about when it comes to sports teams losing but not in the case of MSU. That fan base is loathsome and after their response to Conor Stalions, the athletic department and Izzo can go f* themselves.
Warde haters are pretty myopic, not just in the way you stated but in thinking there's only one way that an AD does his job successfully, and that all successful AD's are basically the same. They seem to leave Michigan, itself, out of the equation. Michigan has certain standards that other schools don't and that has nothing to do with Warde. He has to work within those parameters, and they're parameters that sometimes work against putting together a successful team. I'm not saying he's the perfect AD, I'm just saying that there's a lot more to his job than people willingly acknowledge.
The past couple of years, we've had terrible hail storms, with hail the size of baseballs. One storm was so bad that anyone who parked on the street was on the phone with their insurance companies the next day, trying to get all the dents and cracked windshields taken care of. And those suckers went horizontal and tore holes in the screens on our windows. We had to get them all rescreened.
It passed through the Chicagoland area, too. Not sure if it did any damage, but we had a tornado watch for a couple of hours. Stay safe everyone!
I love NY pizza. When I was in middle school back in the late 70's, I lived in a town right outside Manhattan and there was a place called Four Corners Pizza. The guys who owned it and worked there were from Italy and had chest hair so dense, you couldn't see any skin underneath. They made the best NY pizza and yes, slices. Every day after school I'd get a slice and an orange soda and yes, the slices were reheated, and they were amazing.
Just an FYI, no she ever said that ever.
I've looked at Gozney's too. I like the idea of wood burning but we have a gas hook up so could do gas as well. I like the Gozney Dome. It's very expensive, though. We've also looked at Alfa's but they're even more expensive. I have a Weber with a carbon steel insert but there's a hole in the middle that provides for a direct flame -- good for burgers, bad for pizza making.
Yes, and I'm going to do my part by not watching the game for like the 30th time in row.
Calling someone 'anti-Rosa Parks' just because they thought the protesters were disruptive at the graduation is a pretty big stretch. My daughter goes to NYU and has been prevented from getting into the library by protesters on several occasions and that pisses me off. Am I anti-Rosa Parks?
Where did I say these students are terrible?
Just for perspective, I was one of the people who protested during my own graduation. 1987, against apartheid. I don't know how many of us there were, several hundred, but during the ceremony, when keynote speaker Mike Wallace spoke, we all stood in silence and put our backs to the stage. Many of us had anti-apartheid slogans stuck to our backs. The guy sitting behind me may have been pissed because I blocked his direct view of Mike Wallace, but other than that, we made the issue known without otherwise disrupting the ceremony. We sat back down when he was done. During that same period, there were shanties set up in the Diag. The administration left them alone because they didn't prevent anyone from going about their business. Yet they were there every day, a constant reminder of what was going on in South Africa.
You're going to equate this with Rosa Parks? Rosa Parks quietly asserted her own rights without disrespecting the rights of others. It was one of the most remarkable forms of protest, a disregard of the rules but it was unassailable because it wasn't disruptive. It was the most normal of actions -- just quietly riding a bus, which shined a light on the naked bigotry of her detractors. Brilliant.
Congratulations! It's great to be a Michigan Wolverine!
I know a kid who was a talented athlete but whose parents told him he was better than everyone else and that pretty much sunk him. He just couldn't work hard and take any kind of direction, and he flamed out early in high school. They had such lofty dreams for him (telling him when he was in middle school he might be playing football for Oregon someday) and didn't take into account his lack of maturity or the fact that talent is great but if you can't grind it out, no coach is going to want to deal with you. And he certainly wasn't talented enough for a coach to look the other way on that.
My father died 6 years ago and I have his collection of baseball stuff from the 1940's. When I say stuff, it's mostly autographs of entire teams, clips from the newspapers, and letters he wrote to teams, with their responses. He was around 10 or 11 at the time and he'd go to the hotels where they were staying and all the players would autograph a lined sheet of paper. He wrote a few teams asking for autographs, and he'd get a sheet of paper back with all their autographs (or at least a lot of their autographs). I haven't seen anyone super famous but there are a few good ones in there.
I see someone act like this and I think this is exactly how some adult treated him at some point when he was younger. This is learned behavior. Some adult did him wrong. (the other day, I was driving and heard females yelling at each other. I thought it was two teenagers fighting. I looked over to see a mother and daughter walking down the street. The mother hit the teen girl, who was probably 15, and screamed at her, "That was a dumbass move! You're a dumbass!" And I thought this is how it's perpetuated)
I think they're very entertaining and hilarious, it's just not baseball. It's more like Broadway.
And as much as people complain that it's slow, because of that, it doesn't require constant attention. It's a great sport for people who want to have a social evening out. You can go to a game with friends and talk, drink, and socialize and only sort of pay attention without missing the biggest moments. In that way, it really is a pastime -- an enjoyable way to pass the time in a social environment with a game as the background noise (if that's what you choose). When I go to games, I sit as close as I can to the field. I like to feel the energy of the players. I especially like to watch the pitcher. It's a contemplative game, much of it is confidence. I think it's funny (funny odd) that players who are as skilled as big leaguers can lose their confidence. That is the most intriguing part of baseball to me. These guys are so good, but you lose the feel during one game, a particular pitch isn't working, and it can spiral downwards. I mean, how is that possible when you've been doing something so well for so long?
I agree, it is hard to sell it to younger people and I think that's more the result of attention span as it relates to entertainment. They've grown up with instant gratification by way of screens/video games. Baseball requires patience from the fan. The action ebbs and flows, and sometimes there isn't much action at all. And from afar, it doesn't seem to require a ton of skill (and then you play the game and realize that catching a tiny ball while running full speed forward while looking backwards is way harder than it looks, and hitting a 98 mph fastball even for the best players is close to impossible). I really enjoyed the college game. The skill level isn't anywhere near even minor leaguers but I think that and the mistakes keep it interesting.
Count me as someone who understands the attraction but doesn't like them. Because of my kids, who played throughout high school and one in college, and my husband who is a huge baseball fan, I've developed a love of baseball. I like it more than football now. Incidentally, one of my son's college teammates played for them the summer after his junior year. I think it was on their collegiate team, which may not exist anymore. That was straight baseball. No stilts, no song and dance. I think of the Bananas as spectacle, not sport, even though all the players are good.
Agreed. You can't win forever. You can't do anything forever. The pendulum of life swings back and forth. Just the way it works.
Harbaugh won the NC. Knowing what we know of him, it was clear he'd move on after that. Nothing left to prove, no challenge left there. He's never been the Nick Saban type. If he were to win the Super Bowl next year, it would be interesting to see the trajectory of his career after that. You can say that you'd stay as hungry to win a second one, but who knows?
This is true unless age has mellowed him. That does happen. Age brings perspective, and that can happen at any age.
Looks like something from an X Files episode.
I was at the Women's Football Academy when he was on the team and I sat with him and Patrick Omameh at lunch. He was personable in that venue. I told him I had lived in Scottsdale for a few years in middle school and had I stayed, I would've gone to the same high school as him, so that sparked some good conversation. Obviously, there were some other things that happened while he was at Michigan, but during this event, he was likable and friendly.
I've seen it at least ten times and still laugh out loud.
My son actually did this exact thing his first time driving with a permit, but on a side street. Slow hit a car going 1 mph as I yelled, "Stop! Brake!" And of course it left a dent so we had to leave a note and pay for the damage.
I'm 37 years out, which is crazy. I remember walking around campus as a 20 year old like it was yesterday.
My son started a little earlier than that. But what's really remarkable is that they actually grow up and mature. There were many times when I didn't think that was ever going to happen.
If there's one thing that can make you feel humility, pride, and every emotion in between, it's having kids. Congrats to all the graduates! May you all find work that's fulfilling and interesting.
My time at Michigan had no direct impact on what I ended up doing as a career, but I was exposed to a lot of different ideas and people and I think that was invaluable. If someone wants college to train them for a career, there are lots of options including trade school (as well as medical, dental, pharmacy, law, and engineering). But my liberal arts education was far from a waste of time or money. By the same token, college is so prohibitively expensive now that I can see why someone might think that a job should immediately pay back all that tuition. But ultimately society benefits from having a well-rounded, well-informed population.
I'm so old that I wrote my applications by hand and the essays in long hand. And for the life of me, I can't remember how I got them without the internet.
My understanding of Texas admissions is they admit less than 10% out of state students. They really prioritize in state. My daughter has a friend who got into UT OOS. She was a good, not great student, but I think it was her specific interest. She wanted to major in education and is bilingual (English first language and Spanish). I think she must've ticked all the boxes in that major.
I'm not sure if colleges rely on standardized tests because they are actually predictive of success in college or because it allows them to sift through those thousands and thousands of applications more quickly.
My daughter sort of had the opposite thing happen. She had a list of schools and started applying, without a clear favorite. She started to get anxious about getting into any of them, so decided to pick one school and do early admission. She did end up getting in and going there but I think it probably wasn't the best school for her, and she really only did it to avoid all the angst of waiting for answers. She hates uncertainty and just wanted it done.
I couldn’t get into Michigan today with my CV from 1983. Zero extracurriculars. Not great test scores. But I went to a college preparatory school that was so rigorous, freshman year in college was a breeze and any class that required I write papers was the same. (Thank you to my sophomore English teacher who I thought was a huge asshole at the time for giving me C’s on papers but his exacting standards pushed me to really learn how to write a good college paper). So my early struggles in high school paid off in college. My daughter is at NYU and given the ridiculous tuition, I can tell you it’s not worth it from a return on investment standpoint. She’s not in business school, not going to law or medical school, and not an engineer.
And in the next 5 days, May the 4th be With You and Cinco de Mayo. May 2nd and 3rd need to step up and contribute.
It's hard to imagine a scenario where people sign that agreement after getting married unless both parties are of equal worth. At that point, you sort of know who has the upper hand financially, so if you're the other person, you'd want your fair share, but if you're the person with the money, you'd be pretty protective of it. Plus, it brings up the idea that this marriage might not last. Before you get married, you think that will never happen to us. After you're married, you may have a more realistic view of your relationship. Awkward.
My ideal place that I would move to in a heartbeat would have:
Temps between 75-80 every day, except in the fall
No winters but four months of fall with temps in the high 50's/low 60's and fall foliage
Low humidity but on the ocean
Walking distance to all necessary stores
A city but with plenty of residential neighborhoods that don't feel like suburbs
A lot of bike trails, especially along the ocean, and bike friendly streets
Lots of good ethnic restaurants
After having been out of the city for 22 years, I can't believe how much development has taken place in West Town and just south of there. It's like a whole new world. We really like it. My only complaint is the traffic at rush hour. I try not to drive then.
I just moved to Wicker Park from Evanston and just don't feel the whole crime thing. I've lived in Chicago (Lincoln Park), and then Evanston, my entire adult life, and am from downtown Chicago originally and I just don't see what other people are seeing. I have an acquaintance from Lake Forest who asked me, "Aren't you scared there?" NO, what are you talking about?! I walk around by myself all the time, and take walks in neighborhoods that would probably be considered sketchy by some. Would I walk around at 1 AM by myself? No, but I wouldn't have felt comfortable doing that in Evanston, either. Is there crime in Chicago? Yes. Is it overtaking the city? No. I do agree that Mayor Johnson probably isn't the guy. Chicago is a complicated city.
Love em or hate em, the Ricketts have invested a lot of money in Wrigley and the surrounding area. They've been so successful, they formed a consultancy that other teams hire to help them develop the areas around their stadiums.
When was the last time you were at Wrigley? They've done SO much work in the past 8 years, like new everything while staying true to the friendly confines. As for the fans, I just saw a clip of Theo talking about the difference between Chicago and Boston fans. His take is pessimism vs optimism. Boston fans are waiting for something bad to happen and that affects their demeanor. High expectations, perennial disappointment. Cubs fans are used to losing, and 2016 was such a gift but it didn't give the fans unrealistic expectations.
I don't know when you were there last but my husband works at Wrigley, has been at every home game for the past six years. The bathrooms have all been redone, the concourse has been refurbished and opened up, the seats are all new (within the last 5 years). It's all new within the context of an old park, with all its history and vintage charm. Plus, the views from inside the stadium are awesome. To see the Blue Angels or the Thunderbirds fly over during the air show, and then fly back to the city in the distance is one of the best of all Chicago experiences. And Cubs fans are there for a good time. There's nothing wrong with that.
We spent a week in Phoenix during spring training. Sloan Park (Cubs) is a miniature version of Wrigley and really fun. The Giants new practice facility where they play games is awesome. It's in a park surrounded by red boulders. Players were just walking around. We watched a AA game and sat next to a group of players, not sure what level but not major leaguers, and my husband chatted with them a bit. The fields were laid out like a lot of little league complexes, like a four leaf clover. The Cubs complex has this, too, where you can watch four games at once (not the major league games, those are at Sloan), and you're basically co-mingling with players and coaches as they walk around. We watched Javier Assad pitch in what my son called a "Feel Good outing" and it's like being at a little league game with major leaguers. And those games are free.