Turn Your Backyard into Fenway Park

Can't say I'm shocked by this story. Sports Illustrated reports that you can now purchase a bag of grass seed that has a similar Kentucky Bluegrass and perennial ryegrass mix as the seed used on the Fenway Park turf. Sort of a Carl Spackler special. You can also get mixes used at Wrigley Field, the Great American Ballpark in Cincinnati, Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia, and Busch Stadium in St. Louis. Apparently, the Pittsburgh Pirates grass seed mix was too costly and traded for two bags of peat moss to be named later.

Here's the real shock: The Red Sox haven't licensed the field green paint color made by California Paints that is used to paint the Green Monster. Seems like that would have been a no-brainer in the never-ending quest for "ancillary" income.

See the Boston Harbor Islands in Winter

There may not be a better place in the city to escape the heat and humidity than the Boston Harbor Islands national park area. While Bostonians can only dream of T-shirts and flip-flops right now, the islands are still fascinating places to explore, even in the dead of winter.

If you're used to seeing the islands covered with lush greens, it's striking to now see them under a fresh blanket of snow. And you might catch a new cast of characters who aren't commonly found around the islands the summer months, such as white and brown seals.

The Island Alliance is sponsoring a rare wintertime chance to get out among the Boston Harbor Islands this Saturday, January 16. A winter wildlife watch cruise aboard the Voyager III will take visitors around the outer islands, Hingham Bay, and Weir River estuary. Park rangers and experienced birders will lead the tour. The boat has both heated, enclosed areas and a deck for viewing.

The boat departs from the Quincy Shipyard at 10:15 AM and Boston's Long Wharf at 11 AM. The cost is $14 per person. Reservations are strongly encouraged. For tickets, call Boston's Best Cruises at 617-770-0040 or click here. The Friends of the Boston Harbor Islands are also selling tickets. If you can't make this date, there will be a cruise to Spectacle Island on February 20.

Matthews Arena Turning 100

Northeastern University's Matthews Arena is one of the hidden jewels of the Boston sports scene. If you long for the old Boston Garden, check out a hockey game at Matthews Arena. Walk inside and you'll feel as if you've been transported back to the old Garden. There's an overhanging balcony, exposed pipes, and intimate sight lines (for hockey, not necessarily basketball). In my opinion, the front row of the balcony, which nearly hovers over the ice, is the best seat you'll find from which to watch a college hockey game.

Despite its throwback atmosphere, Matthews Arena doesn't get as much love as you would expect in this tradition-laden town. But think about this if you're part of the Fenway Faithful: Matthews Arena opened its doors on April 16, 1910. That's two years before the ballyard on Yawkey Way opened for business. Hopefully, the impending centennial will spark a greater appreciation for the oldest artificial ice arena in the world. It's the lead for an article I just wrote for ESPN.com profiling the oldest college hockey arenas in Division I. Click here to read the ESPN article.

Get a Sneak Peek of the Fenway Park Hockey Rink

Great article by Fluto Shinzawa in The Boston Globe yesterday describing how the rink for the 2010 Winter Classic is going to be built at Fenway Park. Want to peek in on the progress? The NHL has set up a webcam on their web site where you can get a view from the press box of the rink being built in the shadow of the Green Monster and the Citgo Sign. Pretty neat. In another item connected to the Winter Classic, more events related to the New Year's Day game have just been announced.

Winter Wonderland at Fenway

The highlight of Boston’s 2010 sporting calendar may take place just mere hours after the dawn of the new year when the Boston Bruins and Philadelphia Flyers take to the ice at Fenway Park for the NHL Winter Classic. The January 1 tilt is a throwback to the days when the city’s hockey nuts fashioned sticks from hickory trees and flooded Franklin Field and Boston Common to create outdoor ice sheets.

Not surprisingly demand for tickets to the sold-out New Year’s Day tilt is off the charts, but die-hard sports fans shut out—or priced out —from the Winter Classic still have a chance to watch some hockey in the shadow of the Green Monster.

On Jan. 2, Bruins greats and celebrities will skate in the Boston Bruins AT&T Legends Classic with proceeds benefiting various charities. Cam Neely, Terry O’Reilly, Johnny “Pie” McKenzie, Ken Hodge, and Rick Middleton are among the Bruins alumni who will take to the ice alongside celebrities including Denis Leary and Tim Robbins. Tickets range from $10 to $25 and are available at BostonBruins.com, Ticketmaster locations, and the TD Garden Box Office.

There will be a Hockey East doubleheader at Fenway on Jan. 8 featuring a women’s game between UNH and Northeastern followed by a showdown between the men of BU and BC. Tickets are sold out, but alumni groups are holding some parties in nearby bars, such as the pre-game rally being held by BU at Tequila Rain.

If you’re envious of the players skating on the Fenway infield, you have a chance to join them. While there are intentions to hold a public skate before the ice melts, the Red Sox Foundation has just announced a raffle with a chance to be one of 75 fans to join a group skate on Jan. 9. Tickets are $10 and benefit the Red Sox Foundation’s Home Base Program for injured veterans.

If you're heading to Fenway for any of the games and looking for a good place to take the chill off, The Die-Hard Sports Fan's Guide to Boston has listings of dozens of places to eat and drink around Fenway.

UPDATE: The NHL has just announced plans for a free fan festival on December 31 and January 1 to be located at the parking lot at Brookline Avenue and Yawkey Way. There will be air hockey and bubble hockey tables, photo opportunities, and a beverage tent. Fans can also shoot pucks through tires (it's sponsored by Bridgestone) and live goalies. Sounds like some other corporate giveaways will be there along with interview of Bruins alumni and musical performances. It's open 11 am-4pm on December 31 and 9am-1pm on January 1.

Holiday Gift Ideas for Boston Sports Fans

Happy Black Friday everyone! If you're looking for a gift for that hard-to-please Boston sports fan, here are some ideas. (Added bonus: You can do all your shopping from the comfort of your own house and leave those crowds behind.)

1. The Die-Hard Sports Fan's Guide to Boston. This 270-page book is a must-have for that Boston sports fan in your life. Part history, part guidebook, The Die-Hard Sports Fan's Guide to Boston is packed with "I didn't know that" facts about Boston sports (did you know Benjamin Franklin swam in the Charles as a young boy growing up in Boston and is now in the International Swimming Hall of Fame?) and practical information that fans need to have a great time at spectator sporting events in and around Boston. The book covers 25 different sports (from baseball and football to Aussie Rules football and polo) and includes information on the city's professional, college, high school, and amateur sports scene. Get all the information on getting tickets, best places to sit, stadium concessions, where to eat and drink before the game, best places to score autographs, even how to save some money or go crazy and splurge. Plus, there are profiles of Boston's best sports bars, a listing of Boston-friendly sports bars around the world (from Manhattan to Kyoto), a sports-themed walking tour of downtown Boston, and even ideas for Boston sports road trips. Available from Amazon.com, bn.com, and local bookstores like Back Pages Books in Waltham.

2. Boston sports T-shirts. There are some really creative T-shirts being made by some local companies. I just picked up this cool "Blizzard of 59" T-shirt from Sully's. Sully's has lots of other great T's supporting the local pro teams or taking a knock at arch enemies (really like the shirt that says "I Hate Peyton Manning" on the front and takes a shot at Eli on the back). If you want to celebrate obscure Boston sports franchises, head over to Ebbets Field Flannels. They have T-shirts with logos for the Boston Beaneaters (Player's League baseball team from 1890), the Boston Shamrocks (a football team from the 1930s that played at Fenway), and the Boston Wonder Workers (a soccer team from the 1920s that played at the old South End Grounds). Really unique stuff. Click here for the Boston shirts.

3. Tickets. If you'd rather not buy any more "stuff," get some tickets for your sports fan. If money is no object, pick up some tickets to the Winter Classic at Fenway Park from a local ticket agency. The Bruins will skate there against the Flyers on New Years Day. If the price is too steep, Bruins legends will take to the ice the following day to raise money for charity. Red Sox tickets will be even more expensive this year. The first tickets go on sale December 12. For cheap ticket options, check out season tickets for the Boston Blazers lacrosse (starting at $80), the Boston Breakers women's soccer team (starting at $165), and Boston University basketball ($78).

RIP, Northeastern Football

Very sad to read the news on the front page of this morning's Boston Globe that Northeastern University has decided to fold up its football program after 74 seasons.

There's no arguing with the point made by Dan Shaughnessy in today's sports section that Boston is first and foremost a professional sports town with much of the fan and media interest focused on the Sox, Pats, Bruins, and Celtics. Still, what makes Boston such a bountiful place for the die-hard sports fan is the plethora of college, high school, and amateur sporting events that are infused with an organic crowd energy and lack the overwrought "game presentation" (see T-shirt tosses, noise meters, thunderstix, etc.) that can make the action on the field a secondary consideration at some professional games. Leaving aside the matter of whether the move was justified or not by the university, losing another one of these options means a less vibrant sports scene for Boston fans.

Northeastern football didn't have the history of Harvard, Boston College, or even Boston University (which canned football in 1997), and its off-campus location at Parsons Field made it difficult to draw the student body. But Northeastern football offered one of the few accessible, affordable, and family-friendly options for pigskin fans. Parsons Field is just a short walk from the Green Line, and parents could wheel their strollers right through the gates and right up to the bleachers--something that's not an option at the other Division 1 college venues.

As Shaughnessy writes about today, Parsons Field was "never a destination for big-time football buffs" and its most historic moment may have been when Babe Ruth played there with neighborhood kids. To me, though, Parsons Field had some quirks that made it a unique college football venue. You could stand right along the fence behind the east end zone and watch the goaline action from a unique vantage point. I enjoyed watching the field goals and extra points sailing through the uprights and landing on the roof of the long, squat field house (or perhaps clear it completely) behind the end zone. Kids would have fun waiting for the ball to roll down off the roof of the house, probably like many backyard Nerf football games across New England. There was also a statue of the university's mascot, King Husky, keeping perpetual guard to the field house.

It's a shame, too, that the news wasn't announced until the season was over so that the football program could have received a proper send-off at Parsons Field from the fans. If you want to take a (now nostalgic) look at Northeastern football, there's a section in the football chapter of The Die-Hard Sports Fan's Guide to Boston.