The Midas Touch
Major League Baseball’s 2008 season is underway and I got an early glimpse of the defending World Series champion Boston Red Sox and revamped Los Angeles Dodgers during a wild exhibition match on Saturday night at the LA Memorial Coliseum. The historic event set a record for the number of people in attendance at a baseball game as 115,000 turned out for what ended up a 7-4 Red Sox victory. A celebration of the 50th anniversary of the Dodgers move from Brooklyn out west to Los Angeles, the game was a homecoming of sorts as the team played their first four seasons at this uniquely-dimensioned stadium. It was my first time here at the gargantuan outdoor arena renowned for hosting two Summer Olympic Games and the festive atmosphere from the enormous crowd altered the dynamic of what would otherwise be a meaningless pre-season game. Tailgaters converged starting early in the morning to revel in the sunny weather, preparing for the evening’s action through barbeque and libations. We eschewed all traffic by parking on the outskirts of the USC campus and walking a mile or so down Vermont Ave. but I have since read numerous horror stories of the Dodger Stadium shuttle bus fiasco and overpriced lots that make me thankful we had it so easy. The concourse walkway was so jam-packed with fans that it took nearly 45 minutes to get a hot dog, popcorn, and soda and we didn’t venture from our seats once we reached them during the pre-game ceremony. The sheer size of the audience increased the energy exponentially, with the highlight of the day being a gargantuan wave that circled the Coliseum, dwarfing the action on the field. There were the requisite verbal spats and fights between Red Sox and Dodgers fans but overall it seemed the exhibition went smoothly with most everyone thrilled to witness the golden anniversary game. It’s not something I’d want to be a part of every weekend but this rare chance to be surrounded by over 100,000 baseball enthusiasts was an opportunity I’m glad I didn’t pass up.
Photo from LAist.com
The Lakers notched win number 50 for the season last night at Staples Center, defeating the Washington Wizards in overtime 126-120. It was a hard-fought battle that required contributions from the entire squad to overcome dual 27-point scoring efforts from the Wizards’ Nick Young and DeShawn Stevenson, who showed his effectiveness from long range in sinking eight threes. Coming off of two concerning losses to Charlotte and Memphis, Purple and Gold stepped up their game and answered back as seven players finished in double figures, led by Kobe Bryant’s 26 including 12 free throws. Luke Walton made seven of his eight shots and Sasha Vujacic drained six three-pointers before the night was through, sending the ecstatic spectators home delirious and satiated. It was my sixth Lakers’ game of the season and the best one thus far, rivaling last year’s first-round playoffs game three against the Phoenix Suns in terms of intensity and memorable outcome. The five game homestand resumes on Wednesday when LA squares off against the Portland Trailblazers for the third time in ‘08. If the Lakers can build momentum from yesterday’s contest for the remainder of the regular season and upon Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum’s return from injuries they’ll enter the playoffs the same way they began on October 30th, a formidable and resourceful team not to be taken lightly on the court.
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