Tips for Going to 2011 New England Patriots Training Camp

Call it a Punxsutawney Phil moment. A sure sign that a barren season is finally behind us and better days have arrived. As I was driving around my neighborhood yesterday, I saw a 70-year-old woman shuffling away from her mailbox. She was wearing a gray T-shirt with some lettering on the front and back. As I drove closer I saw that the front said "I Hate Peyton Manning." The back: "Eli Sucks Too".

The new football season is here! The new football season is here!

At times, it looked like the NFL lockout could jeopardize part or all of the season, but with the new deal now signed and sealed, the players are back on the gridiron. The New England Patriots will open their public training camp on Thursday, and fans will notice some changes this year due to the new agreement between the players and the owners:

Don't expect to see much hitting during the first few days of camp. Players have hopefully kept in shape during the off-season, but they will still take a little longer than normal to get back into the swing of things. The Patriots have announced that "initial practices will likely be scaled back a bit while the players continue to work toward playing shape." So if you're going to make one trip down to Foxborough, plan to do it towards the end of training camp.

Expect to see more walk-throughs and drills this year. One of the changes under the new agreement is that there are no more two-a-day sessions in full pads. The Patriots have usually held training camp sessions in both the morning and afternoon. Full-pad practices are usually more interesting to watch. Particularly on hot days, it might be a better bet to see padded practices in the morning sessions. (The Patriots have already announced that the first two days of camp will be unpadded.)

Training camp rosters are bigger. Under the new agreement, training camp rosters expand from 80 players to 90, so there's even more reason to get a roster sheet.

Here are some more tips for fans going to New England Patriots Training Camp:

Where: Patriots training camp is held on the practice fields next to Gillette Stadium in Foxborough.

Schedule: The tentative schedule calls for two-a-day practices for the opening days of training camp with practices from 9:30 to 11:30 AM and 3:30 to 5:30 PM on July 28 and July 29. The schedule is always tentative based on the desires of the coaching staff and oftentimes the weather. Practice times will be announced on the Patriots web site and you can double-check it by calling the team's hot line at 508-549-0001.

Parking: The practice is free to attend, and the parking is free as well. (Yes, I said it, "Free.") Parking is along the west side of the stadium, and it's a short walk over to the fields. From US 1, enter the parking lots at P8 from the south and P6 from the north. Lots open an hour before each practice.

Seating: There are bleachers along the side of one practice field on which to sit. Another popular spot is on the hillside that lies behind the end zones of the practice fields and in front of the stadium. Wherever you sit, you're pretty close to the action. If you have a camera with a good zoom lens, you should get some good shots.

Food and Drink: There are concession stands that sell food, drinks, and beer. (Note: The Patriots no longer serve beer at training camp. Apparently it wasn't worth the cost of hiring police to have it.) Be prepared to pay normal stadium prices for food and beverages, however, if you buy it there. Adjoining Patriot Place has plenty of restaurants and bars where you can get a meal, too. (For a good, cheap meal, I highly recommend Five Guys Burgers at Patriot Place.)

For the Kids: Along the west side of the stadium during Training Camp is the Patriots Experience, filled with interactive games that allow young fans to test their kicking, passing, and tackling skills on a variety of obstacle courses, football tosses, and other similar challenges. It's a popular draw for families. (All fans participating in Patriots Experience must sign a waiver form, available at training camp. It's usually online as well at the Patriots web site.) Note that the hours for the Patriots Experience are not the same as the practice schedule; so check the web site. (In general, the hours are usually 11-4.) Kids will also enjoy all the interactive exhibits at the Hall at Patriot Place. Even if you don't have kids, a visit to this museum dedicated to the Patriots franchise is an absolute must for Pats fans.

Scoring Autographs: The players enter and leave the field near the hillside, so it's a good spot to get autographs, and a designated group of players, which rotates from practice to practice, will often sign along the front row of the bleachers when practice is over.

With as many as 90 players on the field, plenty of new faces (particularly this year as the feeding frenzy on free agents begins), and uniforms without names on the back, it may be tough knowing who you are watching, so print out a roster from the Patriots web site before you go or pick up a complimentary roster from the Patriots Football Weekly tent.

For more tips on enhancing your experience at Patriots Training Camp--and for all the information you'd ever want to know about spectator sports around Boston--check out The Die-Hard Sports Fan's Guide to Boston.

The Babe in Boston

April 16 marked the 75th anniversary of Babe Ruth's final Opening Day in the major leagues. While many baseball fans know that Ruth began his major league career in Boston, as a member of the Red Sox, far fewer know that the Sultan of Swat wrapped up his epic career in Boston as well. But not as a member of the Red Sox, but as a member of the National League Boston Braves.

The Babe's skills had deteriorated markedly by 1935 and showed only faint glimmers of his legendary power. (Hopefully we're not seeing the same twilight of a career with struggling David Ortiz right now.) Ruth would not last the season in Boston, playing in 28 games before retiring.

If, like most baseball fans, you are intrigued by the Babe and want to explore some sights connected to the Big Bam, there are a few places to check out around Boston--and the entire Northeast. Click here for an article I wrote for ESPN.com on a Babe Ruth road trip. More about the Ruthian landmarks around Boston (including a Worcester watering hole with a Babe connection) is contained in The Die-Hard Sports Fan's Guide to Boston.

A Fan’s Guide to the 2009 Head of the Charles Regatta

This weekend brings with it one of the highlights of the Boston sporting calendar: the Head of the Charles Regatta. The 45th edition of the race is this Saturday and Sunday (October 17-18), and a trip to this autumnal tradition is definitely one of the top 10 things that all Boston fans must do before the fat lady sings. If you’re interesting in watching the armada of 8,000 rowers navigate the snaking course, headwinds, and bridges, here are a few spectator tips to the 2009 Head of the Charles:

If you can take the T, do so. You can walk to the river from the Central and Harvard stops on the Red Line and the BU Central stop on the Green Line's B Branch.

Parking is much easier on Sunday. If you're driving to the regatta, free parking is much easier to find on Sunday since you'll be allowed to park for free on the side streets in Cambridge without a permit. Be aware that the parking lots along Soldiers Field Road are closed to the public and that Harvard football is playing on Saturday so parking on the first day of the regatta will be at even more of a premium.

Take a shuttle. If you want to watch the action along the winding three-mile course from the starting line to the finish line, and don't want to walk, there is a free shuttle bus with stops at the Singles and Doubles Launch Site, Lars Andersen Bridge (Boston-side), Cambridge Boat Club, and the Finish Area Launch Site.

Bring a draw and schedule with you. There are more than 50 different race events, some with as many as 60 or more competitors, so it's tough to keep track of who's who. Each boat has a number on its bow, so if you have the draw with you, you'll be able to identify competitors and teams. You can purchase a program at one of the vendor areas along the river, but a cheaper option is to get a copy of the Friday Boston Globe. It has the complete schedule and list of competitors, which you can easily tear out, fold up, and take with you.

Watch the clock. Rowers start at 15-second intervals near the BU Boathouse, so they compete against the clock and not each other. You won't be able to follow a race from start to finish or even get a good sense of who is winning at any given point in time. One clue of how the boats are doing is, if you're watching down the course, if you see a bow with a higher number in front of one with a lower number. That means they are racing at least 15 seconds faster through that point on the course. You'll need to catch a glimpse of one of the race results board to see who has won a particular race.

Stake out a bridge. There are seven bridges that span the Charles River along the race course. They are great places from which to catch the action. If you get there early enough, you should be able to stake out a spot from on top of the bridge and see the competitors as they row underneath. I actually like seeing the action from the banks right next to the bridge. Much like Boston rush hour, traffic on the river can be treacherous, and fender benders and close-quarter collisions worthy of NASCAR are common as boats try to pass each other and squeeze through the narrow arches of the bridges. If you're on the banks, you can have a good view of the commotion. The Eliot Bridge is my favorite spot from which to watch. You'll see the competitors having to negotiate the hairpin turn and straighten out to get through the bridge. Plus, you can listen to the commentary being broadcast from the deck of the Cambridge Boat Club, which is the race headquarters.

Need some food? There are concession stands located at the Cambridge Boat Club, the Rowing and Fitness Expo (which also sells workout and rowing gear) near the finish line, the north bank of the Charles right outside of Harvard Square near the Weld Boathouse, and at Magazine Beach near the launch. Think fair food: lots of kettle corn, hot chocolate, chowder, hot cider, burgers, hot dogs, fried dough. There's also food and drink at the Reunion Village (see below). Sometimes the exhibitors near the Weld Boathouse will be giving out free samples of food and drink products; you might be able to get all the Kashi and Monster Energy drinks you'll ever want to have.

Reunited and it feels so good. Many colleges and prep schools, mostly ones with teams racing in the regatta, have alumni reunion events at the Regatta. Most of these schools have tents set up inside the Reunion Village, which is on the south bank of the Charles near Harvard Square, between the Weeks and Anderson bridges. Even if you're not an alumni member, the Reunion Village is open to everyone for a $3 admission. Breakfast and lunch are served in the dining tent, and the Reunion Village is the only place along the route where you can legally get a beer or other alcohol.

Bring a blanket or chair. There are plenty of spots along the banks of the Charles to watch the action, but bring a blanket or lawn chair and you'll be a lot more comfortable.

You’ll find many more tips—along with a map of the course—in The Die-Hard Sports Fan’s Guide to Boston. The 270-page spectator handbook is packed with history and the only comprehensive guide to the incredible range of spectator sporting events in metropolitan Boston. Click here for more information or to purchase a copy.

What's New at Fenway Park for 2009?

When Fenway Park opens its doors on Monday for its 98th Opening Day, fans are in for a big thrill. New concrete! 

While the Yankees were engaging in its own economic stimulus plan by dumping nearly half a billion dollars on CC Sabathia, A.J. Burnett, and Mark Teixeria (and, oh yeah, opening a brand new stadium), the Red Sox invested in repairing and waterproofing the concrete seating bowl between sections 14 and 28. OK, so it's not as exciting, but the measure will help to preserve Fenway for use for the next 40 to 50 years, so that's worth something. Right?

Fans who aren't concrete aficionados, however, will still find some noticeable differences in Fenway in 2009: 

New seats in lower bowl. Along with the lower seating bowl repairs between sections 14 and 28, new seats have been installed. All Field Box Seats were replaced by seats with cushioned bottoms and cup holders. Loge Box Seats that were replaced now have cup-holders. Wooden seats in the grandstand have been refurbished. Good news for your kneecaps: the seats have been fitted with springs that will allow them to retract automatically when empty. 

Right field roof box expansion. The 383 Right Field Roof Box seats have been ripped out and replaced by 574 new seats. In addition, there are 100 dedicated standing room spaces with drink rails. There are expanded concession stands and restrooms as well. Providing a bookend to the Coca-Cola sign in left field is a neon sign featuring the logo of Cumberland Farms. 

New concession items. Fans buying concessions at the Jordan's Third Base Deck will find a new Surf and Turf Grill with shrimp rolls and steak tips. There are also chicken and beef tacos and burritos, boneless chicken wings, a bag of three sliders, and "gobbler sandwiches" made with turkey, stuffing, gravy,  and cranberry (that will sound wonderful on a steamy, 95-degree day game in July).

Fenway Frank recipe. Kayem Foods has taken over the contract to make Fenway Franks. According to an article The Boston Globe, Kayem will unveil a new, bolder recipe. Here's hoping they didn't tinker with the secret, salty ingredient: 86 years of tears from men, women, and children across New England. I guess since the Curse is gone, it's time to change the recipe.

Fenway Family Hour reduced concession prices. In April, nine food items will be up to 50% off for the first hour after gates open (gates open two hours before the first pitch). The items are Fenway Franks, pizza slices, pretzels, popcorn, cotton candy, fruit cupes, veggie cups, slider bags, and ice cream cups.

Meet an active player or coach. In past years the Sox have had a former player available at Autograph Alley to sign autographs, but beginning with the second homestand the Sox will host 30-minute sessions once a homestand where fans can meet and take photos with an active player or coach. Now we know why Manny wanted out of town. 

Early entrance for some fans. Citizens of Red Sox Nation, the team's fan club, with a valid game ticket will have the opportunity to enter the ballpark early through Gate C and watch the Sox take batting practice from the Green Monster Seats.  

Fenway "First Timers." Fans on their inaugural visit to Fenway can go to any Fan Information Booth and get a special First-Timer sticker, a FanFoto voucher for a free personal or family photograph, and sign up for a free welcome message on the scoreboard.

For pregame and postgame options, the biggest addition in the neighborhood is the opening of the House of Blues on Lansdowne Street behind the Green Monster. In addition to live entertainment, the House of Blues serves food. The biggest loss to the neighborhood in the offseason was a January fire that tore through six restaurants on Peterborough Street, including Sorento's, El Pelon Taqueria, and Thornton's Fenway Grille. The McDonald's on Boylston Street has apparently just closed as well. 

The one big thing that hasn't changed this year: ticket prices (finally) and concession prices. Just about the only benefit of the economic downturn. Hopefully, the quality of the play on the field stays the same as well. Go Sox! 

For more information on getting tickets, food and drink options inside and outside Fenway, getting autographs, increasing your odds of catching a foul ball and getting on TV, saving some cash at the game, and much more on having a great day at a Sox game, pre-order a copy of The Die-Hard Sports Fan's Guide to Boston. 

NCAA Basketball Practices in Boston

If you aren't lucky enough to have tickets to the NCAA East Regional semi-finals and finals this Thursday and Sunday at the TD Banknorth Garden, you can still watch the teams practice and shoot around on Wednesday. Practices are free and open to the public. Here is the tentative schedule:

Noon - 12:50 PM Xavier University

1:00 - 1:50 PM Villanova University

2:10 - 3:00 PM University of Pittsburgh

3:10 - 4:00 PM Duke University

And if you get an extra ticket, let me know!

Top Ten Road Trips for Boston Sports Fans in 2009

Looking for some creative travel ideas in 2009? Want to hit the road with the home teams to root them on in enemy territory? Check out my article in last Sunday's Boston Globe on the top 10 road trips for Boston sports fans in 2009. You can stay close to home in New York City and Cooperstown, travel across the country to Los Angeles, or head over the pond to London. I'll have a few other ones listed in The Die-Hard Sports Fan's Guide to Boston when that is published later this year.

Gillette Stadium Pilgrimage Article on ESPN.com

I'm excited to have my first feature article for ESPN.com go live. It's on Gillette Stadium and Patriot Place for the Travel section of ESPN.com. Right now it's the lead story on that section of the web site. Click here to read the article.

The Heisman and the Hail Mary

Boston College recently unveiled a new statue that honors one of the Catholic school's "patron saints": Doug Flutie. The statue, outside Gate D of Alumni Stadium, immortalizes the singular moment that defined Flutie's career: the "Hail Mary" pass against Miami in 1984. The bronzed quarterback's right hand grips the football as he plants all his weight on his right leg. His arm is reared back as far as possible as he looks up to the heavens for some divine intervention as he gets ready to hurl the football with all his might like Zeus hurling a lightning bolt. This being a Jesuit college, we can say that the prayer was answered as the ball fell into the arms of Gerard Phelan to win the game. On the base of the statue is the radio play by play, which loses a bit of its luster being read rather than heard: "Touchdown! Touchdown! Touchdown! Touchdown, Boston College! He did it! He did it! Flutie did it!" 

If you want to relive the moment even more, check out the Hajjar Family Football Museum in the adjacent Yawkey Athletics Center. Inside, you can go to the video screen and watch the Hail Mary play and other great moments in BC football history (the grainy black and white film from the undefeated 1940 season is great). Display cases include individual and team trophies and memorabilia from the college's football programs. Also on display are the bowl game trophies won by the team. You'll notice the elaborate Diamond Walnut San Francisco Bowl and Carquest Bowl trophies dwarf those of the simple Sugar Bowl and Cotton Bowl trophies proving that the garishness of bowl trophies is inversely proportional to its importance. 

The highlight, though, is Flutie's Heisman Trophy, which greets you as soon as you enter the museum. The trophy may be the most iconic in American sport with its throwback leatherhead clutching the ball under his left arm as he gets ready to deliver a textbook stiff-arm with his right. Even though he's barely more than a foot tall, the trophy, which was awarded to Boston College along with another one for Flutie himself, still looks like he can punch a wallop. 

Huntington Avenue Grounds and South End Grounds

Now that the baseball season is over and the Hot Stove League is warming up, you may find yourself in need of a hardball fix sometime in the next few months before pitchers and catchers report to Fort Myers. If so, head over to the campus of Northeastern University. 

If you get off the Green Line's E branch at the Northeastern stop and cross Huntington Avenue and wander behind the Cabot Center, you'll come across a small courtyard area that feels like a typical college quad with its trees, benches, and flanking collegiate buildings. Inside the quad, you'll find a singularly focused man. He's crouched over, fiercely staring straight ahead at something. He's unflinching; not even the constant stream of co-eds that hustle and bustle by on their way to class can avert his laser-like gaze. No matter what time of day, what time of year, the bronze figure of Cy Young is always in that crouch, five-fingered glove on his left knee, waiting for the catcher to flash him a sign to deliver his next pitch.

The statue of Cy Young, the gold standard when it comes to major league hurlers, stands on what used to be the mound of the Huntington Avenue Grounds, home to Boston's American League franchise before they moved about a mile away to Fenway Park. The Huntington Avenue Grounds are notable not only for being the first home of the Red Sox, but for being the site of the first World Series in 1903. Boston defeated Pittsburgh in eight games (it was best of nine at the time) to capture the inaugural fall classic and usher in baseball's "modern era." From the ballpark's mound, Cy Young spun some of his record 511 wins and pitched baseball's first perfect game of the twentieth century on May 5, 1904. 

Embedded in the ground sixty feet away from Cy Young is a granite marker shaped like home plate that commemorates the first World Series. That marker is laid at the spot where batters dug in at the ballpark. Imagine what they must have felt looking out at Cy's steely gaze and digging in for the next pitch from the flamethrower.

Back on the Huntington Avenue side of the Cabot Center, you'll find a small plaque that commemorates the Huntington Avenue Grounds and the 1903 World Series. The plaque is located approximately on what was then the left-field foul line. The left-field fence ran along the Huntington Avenue sidewalk. 

Inside the Cabot Center is a display case on the second floor, next to the entrance to the basketball court, that houses a very small collection of artifacts related to the old ballyard, including old photographs and replica wool jerseys. You'll need to check in at the front desk to get into the gym, but the collection is pretty small and sports fans might actually be more interested in the adjoining display cases that honor some of the greats of Northeastern athletics. 

While the Red Sox were playing at the Huntington Avenue Grounds, Boston's National League franchise was playing just a tape-measure shot away at the old South End Grounds. The ballpark was first home to the first professional team and the first baseball dynasty, the Red Stockings, who won four of five National Association pennants between 1871 and 1875. Over the years, the team's name would evolve until it became the Braves, who played at the South End Grounds until 1914. Between 1888 and 1894, the ballpark featured a grand pavilion that looked like a fairytale castle with its medieval-style turrets. Unfortunately, the grandstand was destroyed by the Great Roxbury Fire of 1894, which started in the right-field bleachers during the game. 

Today, the Ruggles T station stands on the site of the South End Grounds. It's just a short walk from the Cy Young statue. Go down Forsyth Street, go up into the station, and just past the turnstiles for the Orange Line is a small green marker on the left-hand side. The marker, erected by The Bostonian Society, is the only sign connected to the old ballyard. 

More on these two ballparks will be included in the forthcoming book, The Die-Hard Sports Fan's Guide to Boston. 

Suffolk Downs

Given the state of the economy, one of the safest investment choices might be to put your hard-earned money into the ponies. If you want to take your chances at the racetrack and put a few sawbucks down on the horses, head to Suffolk Downs. And even if you're not a gambler, Boston sports fans will be hard-pressed to beat the $2 admission price for a day at the races.

Suffolk Downs first opened its doors in 1935, right in the midst of the Great Depression. Horse racing was hugely popular back then, but these days the track is more sparsely populated. (Although if attendance trends at the track are inversely related to the Dow Jones average, get ready for an equine renaissance.) Horse racing may still be the sport of kings, but the crowd at Suffolk Downs is decidedly proletariat. The dress code is certainly not on par with Kentucky Derby day at Churchill Downs; you'll find more windbreakers than fancy hats. 

If you do want to bet on the races, buy a track program to get all the information you need (split times, prior results, handicapper picks, etc.) to make an educated bet or, just go ahead and bet on that horse with the name you like and use the program as a prop to slap on your thigh as you urge on your steed as he lumbers down the stretch to a last-place finish. You can also tear out a list of entries and starting odds from the morning paper and bring it with you if you don't want to spring for the program. (Bring a pair of binoculars to so you can watch the horses on the back stretch.)

You can place your bets at any of the betting windows or you can use one of the self-service betting machines. Under state law, there are no ATMs inside Suffolk Downs, so it's kind of a change to be able to put your money into a machine but not be able to take any money out of one.  

Inside the grandstand of Suffolk Downs, banners with racing silks of famous horses hang like retired numbers from the rafters. It's a neat historical touch, and outside of the clubhouse entrance is a small monument to Seabiscuit, that famous racer from the 1930s who was discovered by trainer Tom Smith at Suffolk Downs in 1936. Next to the monument is a statue of Seabiscuit's jockey Red Pollard that looks like one of those old lawn jockeys. 

 

Suffolk Downs has an enclosed, indoor grandstand and plenty of benches and picnic tables outside as well. If you have kids, there is a small playground outside (which remarkably doesn't have any toy ponies to ride) that is well away from the standing area where many of the cigar- and cigarette-smoking patrons come out to watch the races. If you're hungry, there are concession stands on the first floor, and there is a sports bar on the second floor along with the Terrace restaurant, which has seats that sort of look like the Green Monster seats with their tiers of rows looking out on the track. The Terrace serves entrees, sandwiches, burgers. 

Suffolk Downs has simulcast racing so you can bet on the action on other tracks throughout the country. There is a teletheater on the second floor that has a bank of big-screen televisions and there are small televisions at each seat. Most seats are filled with an older men, their rumpled hats, crumpled newspapers, and worn racing forms spread on the tabletops around their elbows. 

The 2008 racing season is heading down the stretch and concludes November 8. 

Head of the Charles Spectator Tips

This weekend is one of the best on the Boston sporting calendar. The 45th Head of the Charles Regatta is this Saturday and Sunday, and the weather is supposed to be sunny, if not a little crisp, but that will make it feel like the great fall tradition that it is. More than 8,000 rowers will be competing in the world's largest two-day regatta. So if you're putting on your fleece and heading on out, here are a few tips:

Parking is much easier on Sunday than Saturday. If you're driving in, free parking is much easier to find on Sunday since you'll be allowed to park on the side streets in Cambridge without a permit. The streets around Harvard Square are good areas to park. Be aware that the parking lots along Soldiers Field Road are closed to the public and that Harvard football is playing on Saturday so parking on the first day of the regatta will be at even more of a premium. If you can take the T, do so. You can walk to the river from the Central and Harvard stops on the Red Line and the BU Central stop on the Green Line's B Branch. 

Bring a draw and schedule with you. There are 57 different race events, some with as many as 69 competitors, so it's tough to keep track of who's who. Each boat has a number on its bow, so if you have the draw with you, you'll be able to identify competitors and teams. There is a draw on the Head of the Charles web site, but you'll have to print reams of paper. Better option is to get a copy of the Friday Boston Globe. It has the complete schedule and list of competitors, which you can easily tear out, fold up, and take with you. 

Watch the clock. Rowers start at 15-second intervals near the BU Boathouse, so they compete against the clock and not each other. You won't be able to follow a race from start to finish or even get a good sense of who is winning at any given point in time. One clue of how the boats are doing is, if you're watching down the course, if you see a bow with a higher number in front of one with a lower number. That means they are racing at least 15 seconds faster through that point on the course. You'll need to catch a glimpse of one of the race results board to see who has won a particular race. 

Take a shuttle. If you want to watch the action along the winding three-mile course from the starting line to the finish line, and don't want to walk, there is a shuttle bus that runs between 7 am and 7 pm on Saturday and Sunday. Print out this course map, which has the shuttle stops marked on it. 

Stake out a bridge. There are seven bridges that span the Charles River along the race course. They are great places from which to catch the action. If you get there early enough, you should be able to stake out a spot from on top of the bridge and see the competitors as they row underneath. I actually like seeing the action from the banks right next to the bridge. On occasion teams have trouble negotiating underneath the bridges, particularly if more than one team at once is going through. You will see the occasional crash, and there are times where some boats have taken on water and gone underneath. If you're up on the bridge, you won't have a view of the commotion. The Eliot Bridge is my favorite spot from which to watch. You'll see the competitors having to negotiate the hairpin turn and straighten out to get through the bridge. Plus, you can listen to the commentary being broadcast from the deck of the Cambridge Boat Club, which is the race headquarters. 

Need some food? There are concession stands located at the Cambridge Boat Club, the Rowing and Fitness Expo (which also sells workout and rowing gear) near the finish line, the north bank of the Charles right outside of Harvard Square near the Weld Boathouse, and at Magazine Beach near the launch. Think fair food: lots of kettle corn, hot chocolate, chowder, hot cider, burgers, hot dogs, fried dough. There's also food and drink at the Reunion Village (see below). Sometimes the exhibitors near the Weld Boathouse will be giving out free samples of food and drink products; you might be able to get all the Kashi and Monster Energy drinks you'll ever want to have. Check the map for concession locations. 

Reunited and it feels so good. Many colleges and prep schools, mostly ones with teams racing in the regatta, have alumni reunion events at the Regatta. Most of these schools have tents set up inside the Reunion Village, which is on the south bank of the Charles near Harvard Square, between the Weeks and Anderson bridges. Even if you're not an alumni member, the Reunion Village is open to everyone for a $1 admission. Breakfast and lunch are served in the dining tent, and the Reunion Village is the only place along the route where you can legally get a beer or other alcohol. Click here for a list of schools participating in the village. 

Bring your camera. If you're a shutterbug, you'll get some great action shots, particularly around Harvard where you can get the rowers in front of the campus' traditional brick buildings. There should be a splash of color among the trees, as well. 

Bring a blanket or chair. There are plenty of spots along the banks of the Charles to watch the action, but bring a blanket or lawn chair and you'll be a lot more comfortable. 

Have fun!

Braves Field

If you wander around Nickerson Field on the campus of Boston University, you'll come upon a plaque in the middle of a courtyard. The plaque will tell you that the spot on which you were standing was once part of Braves Field, the home field for the Boston Braves, who would later move to Milwaukee before settling in Atlanta.  

The home of the Braves was the largest baseball stadium in the country when it opened, and the Red Sox actually played their home games in the 1915 and 1916 World Series at Braves Field because the stadium had a larger crowd capacity than Fenway Park. (The Red Sox also played Sunday games at Braves Field between 1929 and 1932 as the blue laws prevented them from using Fenway Park because of its proximity to a church.) Babe Ruth spun a 14-inning gem at Braves Field during the 1916 World Series in a Game 2 victory for the Red Sox, and Ruth would return to the stadium in 1935 for a handful of games as a member of the Braves before retiring.

Unfortunately for the Braves and their fans, they would play in one fewer World Series in their home ballpark than the Red Sox did before they suddenly slinked out of town and moved to Milwaukee on March 13, 1953, right before the start of a new season. The high point for the Braves during their tenure in Allston was in 1948 when they captured the National League pennant before falling to Cleveland in the World Series.

Today, the site of Braves Field has been converted into Boston University’s Nickerson Field, but some vestiges remain. The right-field bleachers were incorporated into the grandstand of Nickerson Field. The stucco ticket office down the right-field line is now a child-care center and campus security office located on Harry Agganis Way off of Commonwealth Avenue. A portion of the exterior right-field wall still stands along Harry Agganis Way.

The Boston Braves Historical Association, a band of die-hard fans, keeps the memories of the defunct franchise alive today. They conduct periodic tours of Braves Field and have an annual dinner and reunion, which often includes a former Boston Braves player. Their 2008 dinner/reunion is taking place at 1 PM this Sunday, October 12, at the Holiday Inn in Brookline (1200 Beacon Street). There is a tour of Braves Field beforehand. Click here for more information. If you can't make it, check out this new book: Spahn, Sain and Teddy Ballgame: Boston's (almost) Perfect Baseball Summer of 1948. It's filled with essays about both the Braves and the Red Sox, which were both in the pennant race throughout 1948.

Bleacher Bar at Fenway Park

I got a chance yesterday to visit the recently opened Bleacher Bar on Lansdowne Street. The great thing about this bar is that it has a view directly out onto center field of Fenway Park. The large garage door in center field has been converted into a window that allows bar patrons to spy on the doings inside Fenway. Like Fenway itself, the Bleacher Bar has a highly irregular shape; it's shape is similar to a right triangle with the bar itself on the angled side. So not all tables have a view of the field, but those that do are highly coveted. It's also possible in some parts of the bar to stand and see the field. 

Before the gates open up at Fenway, the Bleacher Bar is a great place to get a beer because you can catch the Red Sox starting their batting practice. You can also watch the action during the game from inside the bar as well, but I believe there is a time limit on the tables that have field views. Shutterbugs take note that there is no flash photography allowed during batting practice and games. 

The walls are adorned with memorabilia and there are montages honoring Sox greats who have had their numbers retired. The retired numbers are also carved in the wood along the length of the bar. The beer prices were actually slightly cheaper than the Cask n Flagon as well ($10 for a Heineken and 16 oz Bud Light vs. $10.25). If Dice-K is pitching, you may want to have a Sapporo to get in the spirit; food is available as well. 

New England Patriots Training Camp 2008

So is it OK to mention the word "football" around Boston yet? Has time healed any of the wounds? Can Pats fans raise their heads up along with their hopes for the coming season, like a groundhog peaking out of the ground in early Februrary, or should they return to the darkness of their bunkers for six more weeks of a winter, spring, and summer of disappointment?

I seemed to have blacked out the last two minutes of Super Bowl XLII from my memory, which I think is a healthy way to deal with reality. The Red Sox Duck Tour Parade simply leads right into the Celtics Parade in my mind, and that works just fine.

So who's ready for some football? Training camp is right around the corner. The Patriots have just announced on their web site that camp will begin on Thursday, July 24. Rookies are due to report July 21 and veterans on July 23. Here is the TENTATIVE lineup for the first few days:

THURSDAY, JULY 24 8:45 - 10:30 a.m. Morning practice5:30 - 7:30 p.m. Evening practice
FRIDAY, JULY 25 2:30 - 4:30 p.m. Afternoon practice
SATURDAY, JULY 26 Training camp practices are closed to the public due to the New England Country Music Festival.
SUNDAY, JULY 27 8:45 - 10:30 a.m. Morning practice5:30 - 7:30 p.m. Evening practice
MONDAY, JULY 28 2:30 - 4:30 p.m. Afternoon practice

Assuming there are no changes to public access with this year's training camp, most practices should be open to the public through August 14. (Click here for a report from last year's training camp.) Most practices take place on the two practice fields behind the south end zone of Gilette Stadium.

Some days there are a morning and an evening session, and other days there is just a single session, often in the afternoon. The schedule is always tentative based on the desires of the coaching staff and oftentimes the weather. Therefore, if you're interested in going to see practice, by all means check the schedule on the Patriots web site and double-check it by calling the team's hot line at 508-549-0001.

The practice is free to attend, and the parking is free as well. There are concession stands that sell food, drinks, and beer. Be prepared to pay normal stadium prices for food and beverages, however, if you buy it there. In past years parking has been in lot 22 along the west side of the stadium and it's a short walk over to the fields.

Along the west side of the stadium has also been the Patriots Experience, filled with interactive games that allow fans to test their kicking, passing, and tackling skills on a variety of obstacle courses, football tosses, and other similar challenges. It's a popular draw for kids. And while you're in the area, you may also want to check out the stores at the ever-expanding Patriot Place.

There are bleachers along the side of one practice fields on which to sit. Another popular spot is on the hillside that lies behind the end zones of the practice field and in front of the stadium. The players enter and leave the field near that hillside, so it's a good spot to get autographs, and players will often sign along the front row of the bleachers when practice is over. Wherever you sit, you're pretty close to the action. If you have a camera with a good zoom lens, you should get some good shots. With last year's Spygate fiasco, however, maybe you should leave that video camera at home.

Bruins Training Camp

I went over to the training camp for the Boston Bruins the other morning. The camp is up at Ristuccia Arena in Wilmington. In terms of crowds, it wasn't exactly Spring Training in Fort Myers with the Red Sox. And the temperature inside definitely wouldn't remind you of Florida. It was freezing.

There were probably 15 fans, max, in the stands. That may be indicative of the team's results in the last few years and a distinct lack of buzz going into this year. The upside of the small crowd is that you can get real close to the players. In fact, stand next to the boards and the only thing separating you at the players is a thin sheet of plexiglass and, well, talent. (And for people like me, the ability to skate.) I'm not a huge Bruins fan, so I didn't recognize too many players outside of Zdeno Chara, who towers above everyone at 6 feet 9 inches and looks even bigger in person. The lack of numbers on the practice uniforms didn't help me either.

I was there for maybe an hour before the frostbite began to be a bit of a concern. (Did I mention it was cold?) The players spent most of the time doing drills. Some of the drills were full-ice skates. On other drills, the squad was split in half with practice on both ends of the ice.

Unlike Patriots training camp, there was no $7.50 beers. Just a few vending machines near the lobby.

Today's the last day of training camp before the season starts. Not sure if the practices are open during the regular season, but you can try calling the media and fan phone number at 617-624-1910 to check the practice schedule. If you go, bring warm clothes. (Did I mention it was cold?)

U.S. Open Labor Day weekend

Still recovering from the altitude sickness I sustained this weekend at the U.S. Open in Flushing Meadows. I was there both Sunday and Monday enjoying the fantastic weather. On Sunday, we had grounds passes, so we didn't even set foot in cavernous Arthur Ashe Stadium. We spent most of the day in the cozy confines of the Grandstand watching some of the mens' matches. We also wandered out to the practice courts and saw Federer and Blake among others. The matches in the Grandstand and Louis Armstrong stadium went so long that the day session ended well after the night session.

One of the new things at this year's Open was a perk for American Express cardholders. AmEx members could go to one of two booths and get a TV that showed action from five courts along with the network coverage. (It was free, although a $350 refundable deposit is put on the card.) We got there Sunday at 10:30 and waited between 20 and 25 minutes to get the TV. It was pretty neat to use to follow the action on Ashe and Armstrong from the Grandstand. But I found that it would regularly lose signals and the volume was very faint on my set. All in all, I don't think it was worth the long wait, so we skipped it on Monday, when we had tickets in Ashe stadium, and instead got a free radio from AmEx that broadcast the CBS coverage. Impressively, it synched up with the live action so it was enjoyable to listen in while watching the action from inside Ashe stadium.

Getting to our seats in Ashe was a little grueling, particularly since we lost our Sherpa halfway up. Our seats were in row Z in the promenade. For those who aren't alphabet-philes, Z is the last letter in the alphabet and, correspondingly, the last row in the stadium. Great views of Shea Stadium and the Manhattan skyline. Not so great for tennis. Also not great to watch Tomas Berdych pull out of his match with Andy Roddick after only a set and two games. But we did get to see Andy hit with Jimmy Connors on an outside court after the match as he tried to get some work in. Jimmy managed to keep his sweater vest on the entire time on the 85-degree afternoon. Impressive.

It was also fun listening to the other fans trying to identify the other players practicing on the court from 200 yards away. There was a young mens player out there with long hair and a muscle shirt. The fans around us were all psyched up to see Nadal warming up. "Who's that?" someone would ask. "It's Rafa," another fan would reply. "Wow, get a picture!" Didn't have the heart to tell them that since the guy was hitting with his right hand, chances were kind of slim it was Nadal.

Luckily, the Tommy Haas-James Blake match that followed more than made up for the previous match. Haas won in a fifth-set tiebreaker and the atmosphere was fantastic. If you were watching on TV, you know what I mean. Plus, I'm going to guess you had a closer seat than we did.

Like you needed any more proof

Confirmation in yesterday's Boston Globe about just how baseball crazy Bostonians are. In an article in the business section about the expansion of travel site Farecast's price predictions from airfares to hotels, the Globe ran a graphic about the service's inclusion of New York, Los Angeles, Seattle, and Chicago. So you might expect to get some stock photos of the New York skyline, the Hollywood sign or beaches with palm trees, the Space Needle, and the Chicago skyline. Not in Boston. You got pictures of Monument Park in Yankee Stadium, the view from behind the outfield stands in Dodger Stadium, the field at Safeco, and the marquee at Wrigley Field. Speaking of traveling to see baseball games, good article from The Sports Guy on ESPN from his trip to the friendly confines of Tropicana Field in Tampa Bay (St. Pete, technically) for a Sox game. We're off to do that next month.

Portland Sea Dogs

We went to our first Portland Sea Dogs game last night at Hadlock Field. Even though it's August, it felt more like football weather, at least to us. There were fans keeping warm under blankets, but plenty of people still ate their Sea Dog Biscuits (ice cream sandwiches that are like Chipwiches).

Given the weather in Portland, it's probably a good idea that the Sea Dogs are no longer an affiliate of the Florida Marlins. They are the AA affiliate of the Boston Red Sox, and the design of Hadlock Field certainly takes its inspiration from Fenway Park. Left field is dominated by the "Maine Monster," a nearly identical recreation of the Green Monster. Both walls are 37 feet high, but the Maine Monster is 315 feet down the line not 310, it's not as long, and it's made of wood. No one got a hit off the Monster last night, so we couldn't see how the bounces off the wall may differ. There's a miniature Citgo sign and Coke bottle on top of the wall for more Fenway flavor. But before you think you're in Boston, the giant L.L. Bean boot in right field gives you the proper local Maine flavor.

Hadlock is truly a neighborhood ballpark. More so than Fenway. It's next to the local gym and ice arena and across the street from triple deckers. Last night was Brandon Moss bobblehead night. We showed up right before gates opened, and as we walked by the triple deckers, we saw a long line snaking all around the block. Hundreds of people were waiting 90 minutes before the gates opened to get in-- and this is for a minor league game! (The free bobblehead was the real draw, though. Surprisingly, there were still some left when we got in the park.) Last night's game was a sellout-- another thing in common with Fenway.

We're leaving Freeport and its outlets behind today and heading north through Augusta and moose country to Quebec City.

Fanatic: 10 Things All Sports Fans Should Do Before They Die

If you're a die-hard sports fan, at some point you've had to have watched the Super Bowl, Masters, Final Four, Wimbledon, or any other of the world's greatest sporting events on television and dreamt of seeing them in person to experience the spectacle, hear the roar of the crowd, and see the world's best athletes compete on the grandest stages in sports. Well, Jim Gorant, a senior editor and writer at Sports Illustrated, did just that over the course of one year, and he writes about his experiences in a new book, Fanatic: 10 Things All Sports Fans Should Do Before They Die. If you're looking for a good summer read, check it out.

In addition to the four events I mentioned at the top, Gorant's list of must-do sporting experiences includes the Daytona 500, Kentucky Derby, games at Wrigley Field and Lambeau Field, Ohio State-Michigan football, and Opening Day at Fenway Park (saving the best for last!). The Super Bowl is the first event on the list and comes across as a bit of a sterile experience as most of the focus is on the parties leading up to the game and the crowd is pretty corporate. Not that surprising since that's always been the rap on the Super Bowl. The crowd is anything but corporate at the second event, the Daytona 500, and the passion of the fans begins to come out in the book in that chapter in beyond.

I enjoyed the vivid picture that Gorant paints of his Wimbledon experience, wandering the grounds and sitting on the outside courts, along with his commentary on the British attitudes toward attending the event, in particular the long queues for day passes. He writes: "There's something you have to love about socialism. Unlike the scalpers...outside Augusta National, where it was every man for himself and the only criteria for success were money and bargaining skill, the Brits have instituted a scalping welfare system. If you're willing to wait in line and you've got your sixteen pounds, you've got as good a shot as anyone else. With all these people queued up, any self-respecting American would be tempted to take his day pass to the last guy in line and resell it for twenty-five pounds, but that doesn't seem to be happening here."

In particular, I liked reading about the final four events: Ohio State-Michigan and the games at Wrigley, Lambeau, and Fenway. The passion of the fans really comes out in those chapters since each of those events were tied to particular sports teams. In some ways, it seemed like these regular season games were more enjoyable than the championship games at the Super Bowl and Final Four.

The last chapter covers Opening Day at Fenway in 2006. (Let it be noted that each year I've gone to Opening Day (2004), the Red Sox have won the World Series. Now that I've written that, it doesn't bode well for the rest of this year, so if it holds true again, let that serve as an enticement to offer up some tix next year.) Gorant, although we should forgive him for copping to be a Yankees fan, covers all the bases of the Fenway experience right from the opening of the chapter as he shoves on the Green Line that comes rattling into Copley Station to his description of the rows of fans in the Monster seats ("looking like volunteers at a telethon.")

It would take a lot to make me deal with the airlines this summer, but Fanatic definitely has me pining to hit the road to soak in the sun in the Wrigley bleachers, bundle up in Green Bay, or sip a mint julep in Louisville. For now, I'll have to be content with my tickets to Fenway next week.

Patriots Training Camp

The mercury hit 95 degrees yesterday, which naturally got me thinking of football. Many sports fans look forward to the start of spring training as a sure sign that warmer temperatures are around the corner. Pitchers and catchers serve the same function as Punxsutawney Phil.

I can't stand the 3 H's of summer (hazy, hot, and humid). Ninety-five degree days have me pining for the cool, crisp days of autumn, so the opening of football training camps are a benchmark for me that there's probably six more weeks of summer.

So I headed down to Patriots training camp at Gillette Stadium yesterday to catch the afternoon session, the second of the day for the team. It was my second time there in less than a week since I went to last weekend's New England Country Music Festival with Erin (you can take the girl out of honky tonk, but...). There is construction all around the stadium as Patriot Place is being built. During yesterday's session, the crowd was coming in for the Revolution soccer game, so needless to say traffic wasn't an issue, but parking could be interesting for the Pats games this year.

For most of the time I was there, the offense was running plays against the defense, starting in the shadows of the goalposts and moving the ball down the field. There were three different squads that would change up every five to ten minutes or so. It was fun to watch. Not much tackling, but still the QBs were throwing, running backs were taking handoffs. And the players were definitely into it. Tom Brady was even jawing with the referees on some calls. Brady looked in good form with some nice touch passes and solid catches from the new receiving corps.

Parking was free. That was the good news. The bad was that, just as some of the Pats looked to be in mid-season form, so were the concession prices. I was a little surprised when I was told my bottle of beer would cost $7.50. Yikes. Still, it was a good time. The training camp schedule is on the Patriots web site. I've got more photos from training camp on Shutterfly.