America's Pastime

Had some good news over the weekend from our former landlords over at the Lynndale Apartments. Even though they probably technically could have charged us $1300 for the hole that we inadvertently burned in the carpet over there, they let us off the hook with only a $200 repair fee. So we received a check on Friday that neither Ashley or I was expecting for our security deposit. Not bad, eh? Better than getting taken to small claims court.

We went to see the Timber Rattlers on Sunday for an afternoon affair with the potent Lugnuts of Lansing. After the Lugnuts jumped out to a 12-1 advantage by the fourth inning and we watched our pitcher give up back to back homers followed by a double off the centerfield wall, we decided it was time to bounce early. The funny thing is, we somehow wandered around Fox Cities Stadium until the seventh inning stretch. I love the atmosphere of minor league baseball. There's something down home about it that gives you a kind of fluttery feeling in your stomach. The T-Rats even get to host at least a few playoff games this year, a reward for winning the "pennant" for the first half of the Midwest League season.

The one thing that bugs me about watching a game at Fox Cities is that very few people actually realize there is a game going on. I shouldn't climb too high on my pedestal as I don't think I could rattle (he, he) off half a dozen players off the top of my head. Let's see: Yun Chi Chen, Rob Johnson, Sebastian Boucher (but he got called up to AA), What's His Name Clement, and I know there's another Johnson in there somewhere. So that's five...kinda. The fans at these games are definitely not into the action on the field. However, there is enough going on during breaks in the action, my favorite being the "Brat-zooka," a compressed air gun type contraption that shoots Sher-Make bratwursts into the stands. Oh yeah, you read that last sentence correctly.

All of these little side attractions have sponsors, too. Sponsors are huge in minor league baseball (let's face it: when the most expensive individual ticket is $7.50 and you can get a 32oz beer for $5.00, you have to make up the difference somewhere.) They even give a plug to the industrial supply company that provides the compressed air canisters that power the Brat-zooka. I'm surprised the bathrooms at the stadium aren't sponsored by Toilet Duck: "For the cleanest toilet bowls for your buck, trust Toilet Duck."

I'm looking forward to the big football clash between college football adversaries Northern Michigan and Michigan Tech this weekend. You have no idea the level of sheer stokeditude that I am going through for the return of college football. That, combined with the fact that the NFL is on the cusp of starting and that we are going to have an NHL season this year makes me feel that all is right with the world. I can't wait for the storylines of the season: The race for the Heisman, the first big upset, the first Ohio State player to get suspended for being under investigation by the authorities, etc... The Northern game is sure to be a blowout and this season should lead to the firing of coach Doug Sams (which should have happened last year), but at the end of the day it is still football. They don't put betting lines on games in Division II as far as I know, but I'm sure that MTU would be favored in this game by about 40 points.

I'm finished,
Nate