So I'm Watching Opening Day Live From Australia...

A few thoughts and reflections...

I really hate to lead off with a complaint, but first of all, as all Angeleno Dodger fans know, catching Opening Day - the most sacred of all days - on TV wasn't as simple as flicking a switch, like we live in a first-world country in the 21st century.

Noooooo, the Dodgers had to go and sign an exclusive TV contract with one cable company that has essentially blacked out 80 % of Dodger fans in Los Angeles from watching the games!  But that's a gripe worthy of its own post on another day.

On to the game:

(From the Dodger's post on Vine:

Puig was Puig, leading off and going 0 for 5 with three strike outs.  He wasn't swinging particularly wildly, but he couldn't make solid, consistent contact.  He did almost go deep in the 9th, but the wind knocked it down. Not too good for a lead off hitter, but he was probably just trying too hard. Let's see how tomorrow shakes out.

Ethier got the Dodger's first RBI of the season.

Van Smash blasted a two-run HR !! Do you think home run balls in Australia spin on their way out of the stadium in the opposite direction?

We were treated to some tweed Aussie live-in-the-stands reporter with a right appropriate mustache. His grandad's photo from 1893 or some such year is on the wall in the Cricket Club. Yawn.

Whattya know? We're also being treated to Aussie TV commercials.  They're pretty dry.  Low key, "sophisticated" pitches for UK insurance companies balanced with lots of soccer commercials.  No blues soundtrack Viagra or "Do you know me? I'm Mahem."  to be found here.

Kersh had a great opening performance.  The numbers will bear that out. He did get hit hard a few times and his breaking balls were ending up just a bit too much in the dirt for my liking, but the snakes liked those enough as well to swing and miss, so it worked out.   He almost had a double in the 7th, but he hesitated coming around first and was thrown out by that margin.

Brian Wilson was filthy in the 8th.

A.J. Ellis plunked on the foot in the top of the 9th.  So it's like that, Arizona?  It's ON!

Kenley Jansen gets the ball in the 9th.  He absolutely shredded Mark Trumbo, his first batter.  Second batter- routine grounder to Hanley.

As Bulldog Hershiser once said, "One more out."

Umpire just gave an extra strike to the Arizona batter.  Check swing? No swing! Hogwash!   The snake batter works his extra life into a walk. No matter, as Jansen gets the next batter to hit it back to him and the

DODGERS WIN ON OPENING DAY!!!!!!

 The snakes were the official home team, but the Aussie loudspeakers actually played "I love L.A." for the Dodger's victory!  Aint life grand? 

Bad Camera Productions Presents: L.A. Kings Game Review

Hey everybody,

Taking a break today from The Grand Salami Of Trade Bait, I'd like to share a few pics and comments from my adventures last night.  I was invited on free ducats to last night's Kings vs Capitals hockey game at the Staples Center, right here in picturesque (at times) and vile (at times) downtown L.A..

My long-time readers know that I've done this a few times for outings to Dodger Stadium, such as "A Night At Chavez Ravine"  and "So I went To See Puig Play For Myself" from last season.  If you haven't read those posts, and you'd like to check out some cool pics and see a bit of behind-the-scenes at the stadium, I recommend you click on the links and check those posts out.

One major difference between those posts and this one - beyond the obvious difference in sports, is the quality of camera I had available.  I used my digital camera for those past posts, but this time I was equipped with only my lousy ipod camera.  Hence, the name "Bad Camera Productions". 

That said, since some of my readers and fellow bloggers are hockey fans, I figured what the heck - bear with the cheap photos and I think we'll have a pretty good ride.  And away we go....

Picturesque and vile downtown L.A. dead ahead.

Here's some trivia for those of you who wonder how old I am...Look over at the right hand edge of the photo at the electrical towers, the ones Godzilla loves to melt.  Just to the left of the towers, you will see a tiny building.  That's L.A. City Hall.  When I was born here, that was about the tallest building downtown.  It sure aint that anymore, but it's still a beautiful building to me. 

More trivia: Watch the original War Of The Worlds movie and you can see the attacking UFO's blowing it to bits.


 Staples Center!  And the grand statues. Below is Magic Johnson.  Yup, that's our Dodger connection...

Hey, It's a Capitals fan. BOOOOOO !!

Here's Oscar De La Hoya

We arrived just in time, walking into the arena mid-Star Spangled Banner...

Not two minutes into the game, and FIGHT!!!!

What a great brawl.  It went on for quite a long time, as the players kept slugging it out, and the refs were reluctant to get anywhere close.  Don't know who the Battling King was, but I'll declare him the winner as he landed a couple of awesome upper cuts and even a knee to the face.  Whew!

Action in front of the Capitals net as seen from our seats.

The Kings Ice Girls stopped by and danced a little dilly for us.  Check out homeboy in the white hair sitting with the wife.  Apparently he's not allowed to notice those three gorgeous ladies right in front of him. What torture!


The Kings held a 1-0 lead through 7/8ths of the game.  They gave up the tying goal in the final minutes and we went to overtime tied 1-1. 

The five minute overtime passed with nobody scoring, so we got a shootout - Awesome!

Three men shoot per team. Our first King missed, but we hit pay dirt on the second shot -

The Capitals came right back and tied it at 2-2.  Each team had one shot left...

The King's goalie Jonathan Quick blocked the Cap's third shot and the Kings won the night!

Turns out it was a historic night as Kings goalie Quick tied Rogie Vachon's record of 171 wins and Coach Darryl Sutter got his 500th win.  Congrats, gentlemen.

That's all folks.  Thanks for reading!