Professional Tailgating: A minor league ballpark trip

With amazing weather in New Jersey on Saturday, the OTWT Tailgating Crew headed to Lakewood for the Blueclaws Fanfest. During the event, Blueclaws staff took us on a tour of First Energy Stadium.

    

   

    

    

    

A long fall for the Phillies

A couple of years ago Phillies tickets where adorn with players. Today as the product on the field continues to erode, the organization has decided to out something else on their tickets: photos of the stadium. It's never good when you have nothing better to sell then your stadium. 

Perfection

Wichita State did something that very few teams do, go undefeated in the regular season. Here is how the local newspapers covered it.

Prospects Plus: Shooting themselves in the foot

After Mark Appel turned down the Pirates in 2012, they could have run to the NCAA and accused the Stanford pitcher of using an agent. But like any well run Major League Baseball team they took its medicine and moved on.

But last week, the Phillies decided to take the law into their own hands. Ben Wetzler, an Oregon State University senior pitcher and former Phillies draft pick, was suspended 11 games by the NCAA on Friday, three months after the Phillies reported him to college's governing body for violations. Wetzler, the NCAA said, used an agent who attended meetings with the Phillies and negotiated potential contract terms. The Phillies did not sign Wetzler, their fifth-round pick last June, and took the unusual step of reporting him.

So wait the Phillies reported a fifth rounder that didn't sign, while the Pirates kept their mouth shut about a top 10 pick deciding not to sign and return to Stanford.  A couple of years ago, the Phillies where considered a model orgainzation, now it just looks like they are the laughing stock.

Ben Wetzler, an Oregon State University senior pitcher and former Phillies draft pick, was suspended 11 games by the NCAA on Friday, three months after the Phillies reported him to college's governing body for violations.
Wetzler, the NCAA said, used an agent who attended meetings with the Phillies and negotiated potential contract terms. The Phillies did not sign Wetzler, their fifth-round pick last June, and took the unusual step of reporting him.

Read more at http://www.philly.com/philly/blogs/sports/phillies/Ben-Wetzler-suspended-11-games-Oregon-State-disappointed-in-Phillies.html#Bjwy5LBl86F5qpkb.99

Rutgers could care less about AAC

So Rutgers can't get to the Big Ten fast enough. Even thought they are still in the AAC there are signs in the RAC that they will be on their way. A showcase is dedicated to the Big Ten. There is nothing dedicated to AAC.

Professional Tailgating: Larry Brown can coach

Last night we headed up to see Rutgers play SMU. Let's just saw I can see the Mustangs winning a couple of games in the tournament. The game was supposed to be played Thursday night but was rescheduled because of weather and let's just say many people didn't get the memo. 

    

   

Baseball season is officially here

Baseball season is here now that I have my Baseball America Prospects Handbook.

A Sunday afternoon at the hockey game

So for my sons first hockey game we headed to Boardwalk Hall to see the Albany Devils vs the Hershey Bears and it was not that bad all. 

    

    

Thank you Andy

In the April before Andy Reid's final season in Philly he may have given us the greatest gift that he could, beside of course a SuperBowl. With the clocking ticking on this tenure, Reid drafted four guys that are soon to be corner stones to the Chip Kelly era.

With the Eagles first pick of that 2012 draft Reid selected Fletcher Cox, with his second pick he Mychal Kendricks, then he selected Vinny Curry, Nick Foles, Brandon Boykin, and Bryce Brown.

Traditional you like to get a couple of starters out of a draft, but Reid did better than that getting four starters, if you include Boykin would plays a ton. Curry came into his own this year and Brown is a solid back up.

Not bad for a guy who was basically a dead man walking.

Cover Story: Is it almost next year

A fun season ended for the Eagles on Saturday night as the Saints beat them in the NFC Wildcard weekend. It's been a fun year. 

Professional Tailgating: Going Bowling

On Saturday the Tailgating Crew headed to Yankee Stadium for Rutgers vs. Notre Dame in the Pinstripe Bow. During the game Rutgers played well but was outclassed by the superior Notre Dame talent. It was a fun game. Glad we went. 

Cover Story: Champs

Division Champs has a nice ring to it. 

Cover Story: Metro Dome Mess

At least the Cowboys didn't win

Bobble Head = Job Security

On Saturday night Rutgers handed out Kyle Flood Bobble Head dolls and at that point I knew that Flood was going nowhere. What school would give out bobble head then fire their coach a couple of days later. It's just not going to happen.

Freak Snow Storm = Fun with headlines

A freak snow storm dropped six inches of snow at the Linc yesterday, today The Philly Daily News had some with it. The Birds marked up another huge win yesterday and this team is starting to have a special look. 

24 Hours: Two Football games, two states

Over the weeked, the OTWT Tailgating crew head to two differet games in two different states. First we started at Rutgers to see them get bowl eligible against UConn. Then Suday I headed to the Philly for Eagles vs Lions in a snow storm. Below are the photos from the fun.

UConn vs. Rutgers

Lions vs Eagles

Now that was fun cold weekend.

Even Siri loves Nick Foles

I asked Siri on my iPhone who the best qb in the NFL and this was her response. Foles Fever is sweeping the nation. 

Nick Foles fever is sweeping Philly

Nick Foles fever is sweeping Philly from people buying retro Arizona jerseys of Foles to the Philly Daily News front pages. Foles Mania is everywhere. 

Epic Iron Bowl = Epic Front Pages

Yesterdays Iron Bowl between Alabama and Auburn was epic and today the papers in the state are just as classic. I just have a question did that really happen yesterday.

Chip Kelly's first year in papers

Its been a wild ride for Chip Kelly and the Eagles since he took over. Here is a look at how its has gone through a collection of Philly Daily News front pages.

The Perfect Group of Promotion Clubs

Leeds, Forest, and Derby. They are three of the biggest clubs in the history of English football, but there is a small problem they are all in the Championship and not the Premier League. The three historic clubs seem to have thing going well, going through a Championship Revival. I would love to see the three clubs back in the big time. It would make the Premier League a better place.

Cover Story: Maybe they are a playoff team

So the Eagles are 6-5 and have the look of a good team. Here are how the Philly papers covered the events. 

TAILGATING: Not a good day all around

So yesterday we headed to Rutgers for their game and boy was it a bad day. The Rutgers defense was terrible and then on the way a wild turkey ran into my car and destroyed the front bumper.