Madison Square Garden

[orangemom]

That place is AWESOME! It's much bigger than it looks on tv, which surprised us, because Yankee Stadium looks much bigger on tv than when you're actually there. I love the intro they do before the Rangers take the ice. Simple, but very, very nice. I'm disappointed that the Rangers lost, but we had a really good time anyway. Just being there was fantastic. And let me say, you New York City folks get a really bad rap. We stayed at a hotel in Yonkers, just off the NY State Thruway. Manhattan was a little too steep for our bank account, lol. Anyway, everybody we dealt with in Yonkers, at the Garden, everywhere, was very friendly and very helpful. Of course, they all made fun of our upstate accents, but they couldn't have been any nicer. I don't know what they're talking about. We don't have accents. lol

[harley]

O'mom -

Glad you enjoyed it even though the Rangers lost ... There is a feeling you get when you walk into Yankee Stadium - it does not matter if you go there once or 81+ times a year - you know what I mean - the Garden is somewhat like that - not at all the intensity of Yankee Stadium ... but it is there ... and the Rangers have some incredible history ... even though the won only in 1994 - and the time before that was 1940 - my parents were not alive then ... but some great players played for the broadway blues and I feel so lucky to have seen a Ranger Cup Win in my lifetime....

[orangemom]

Harley,
You're right. The feeling you get walking into Yankee Stadium can't be compared to anything else. It even got to my son's friend who is an Orioles fan. It just can't be described. The Garden is like that too, only not quite as intense. Seeing the Stanley Cup banners hanging there, especially the one from '94 was just so wonderful. And that little history video they play just before the game really tops it off. The only thing that came semi-close to Yankee Stadium in the "Oh My God, I'm actually here" though, was Giants Stadium. Looking down at the field and seeing the Giants painted across each end zone actually gave me chills. You guys don't realize how lucky you are to live close enough to see these places live more than once a year or so. Or maybe you do. I just hope everyone realizes how special they are. We, who don't get there often sure do. There's so much magic, so many memories.

On a side note, I've been doing minor league hockey for 26 years. The speed, the passing, the shots on goal in the NHL are so much more precise than I'm used to. Roenick, Tkaczuk, Leetch and Fleury, especially seem to glide effortlessly around the ice, but they cover so much ground so fast it boggles the mind. Fleury has quite a shot! And Richter's glove hand, OMG, he's so fast it's a blur. Don't get me wrong, I will always love my minor league team, but this game was a rare treat. I just loved it.

One other question, why do the New York Newspapers have such a fit about the prices at the Garden? Yeah, the tickets were expensive, but I didn't think anything else was that out of line. We spent a ton of money in the pro shop, and the prices were more reasonable than what we could get the stuff for around here. My son begged and conned until he got his Leetch alternate logo jersey that he wanted for Christmas. I am such a mean mother though, I took it and am going to make him actually wait for Christmas.

[allybear]

I am so glad you had such a good time!! The Garden is really a great place to watch a game, isn't it? It is kind of pricey, but just being there is great - I've been to a lot of Rangers games, and just like going to the Stadium, it never gets old! Seeing the '94 banner is great, isn't it? Not to brag, but I was there for the banner-raising, and it was one of the best moments of my life, I remember crying when they were raising it!

Can't say the same for football - if I could ever go to a football game in decent weather, I might be impressed. But noooo...I went to one Jets game at Shea in 90 degree heat, one Jets game at the Meadowlands in cold rain, and one Giants game in just plain cold. And the home team lost all three!

I'm just so glad you had a good time in spite of the loss! Come back and see us again sometime!

[caliyanksfan]

o'mom--i'm so glad you had fun! it sounds like it was great. i've been dying to go to msg for a long time. i never seem to make it out there during basketball season though (and i'd LOVE to see the knicks there). but it looks incredible on tv.
ally, that's so cute you cried. i'm the same way. cried cuz i was amazed w/the yanks more times than i can ever count. what saps we are!

,
jl

[marrymejeter]

O'Mom - you are officially hooked, i see. I love the Garden too. My husband's grandfather has corporate season tickets three rows behind the end of the Ranger bench, right on the blue line. So, when the Rangers are in that zone, Leetchie sits right in front of me whenever he's off the ice (which isn't very often). It's so cool. I always cheer for him as he comes on and off the ice. We usually get the tix once or twice a year then catch a few games from the "cheap" seats.

You want to hear about crying, though - the year after the Rangers won the Cup (which I cried for), the loser Devils won it (the lockout year) and when they presented the Devils with the Stanley Cup I was like hysterical crying b/c I was like, "Hey - you can't take that away from us. We waited 54 years for that." And plus to have it go to, what I believe, is our most hated rival - ugh, it just hurt too much to watch the whole thing.

I'm starting to get into the hockey season now - but still miss baseball each and every night. It sucks that hockey games only roll around once every couple of days. Go Rangers!!!

BTW - harley - I know exactly where the Raccoon Lodge is - I've been there before. We should meet for a drink and a Ranger game one night?

[harley]

mmj- Most definitely!! Probably won't be catching a Ranger game till after the holidays - but I would love to go!! Hey so you know where the Lodge is - maybe we've met? I live there - no I am not an alcoholic - well at least not every day - it is our Cheers. So now you should have a pretty good idea of where Brian lives - and if you go across the street from the Lodge - there is a deli - look at the Stanley Cup pics ....

O'mom - Thanks for being so complimentary about us New Yorkers - some of us can actually be very friendly ... and the Garden, like I said before is AWESOME - not quite the feeling of Yankee Stadium.

When I was growing up, in Huntington Long Island - dad used to take me and my little brother to Islander & Met games - because the city is so dangerous ... Talk about suffering ... in the days of no cable - I listed to Rangers on the Radio ... and well, the Yanks - caught them on Channell 11 .... Now that I live in the city - and in all honesty, one of the first things I did was go to Stadium and then the Garden - I will never forget my first time at either place...so I understand your feelings about these places ... and how cool is it that we in our own small way, get to experience it!!

[Butnud]

I have never been there. Anybody want to take me there?

[caliyanksfan]

gosh rob, you've never been there?! that's a crime! you should go as soon as possible and see the KNICKS.
but, you can't go tomorrow night, cuz they'll be here and i'll be seeing them whip the clippers (i just hope that sprewell is back by then.)

get yourself a pal and get over there. it sounds so awesome.

,
jl

[Butnud]

Can u join me?

I would love to meet you also.

hint hint!!!!

[19laura]

Hey All!

I have never been to msg either... but now that the baseball season is over I too am starting to get into Hockey a little. We still have our msg station on direct tv- so when the games aren't blacked out I do watch.

I am not a big hockey fan at all about the only time I did watch the stanlely cup was when the Rangers won.. it was very exciting. (I did try this last season.. but I could never stay awake )

Here in Chicago (where I live) the Blackhawks are awful.. but a while back they used to play their games (as did the Bulls) at a place called the Chicago Stadium (now the United Center). Going there to hear the National Anthem at the stadium was a religious experience!! The place simply exploded w/engery.. hockey fans were always in for a real treat when they saw games there!! Now, it's all a corporate experience.

take care
Laura

[caliyanksfan]

hey, laura! (so much for 'too busy for the computer this week,' eh?). anyways, i'm sorry it's all a 'corporate' experience now, the sucks. i went to my first game last week and now the only parts of the sports page i don't read are golf and football. in other words--hockey's bitchen. too bad the blackhawks suck, but hey, it might be fun to root for a crappy team for once, no?

speaking of NOT crappy teams, i just got back from seeing the knicks (@the clippers). they were ahead the whole game and then lost the lead w/five minutes to go. they didn't recover. BUT, i was so happy to see sprewell playing again (pretty well, i might add) that i didn't mind too much. plus, i was in good company w/tons of knicks fans there.

rob, you're so silly. msg is 3k miles from me!

what was this post originally about again? oh yea--madison sqauare garden.... well, i hope to get there some day! and o'mom, i'm still gald you had a great time!

,
jl

[orangemom]

I was gonna email you and ask you how the Knicks game was. Glad Spreewell played for you. Email me with details girl!!!