Milestones

Since my last blog post, there have been several major milestones both personally, and for some of my heroes.

On a personal note, last month, Avery and I made our first trip down the shore, just the two of us. The weather wasn't great, but we wanted to see my grandparents and give my wife some time to nap. We hit The WindMill for lunch with my grandparents, my parents and the Fishers. From there, we made a trip south and went to the aquarium at Jenkinson's in Point Pleasant. Needless to say, I had been to Jenks many times before...but never the aquarium and never with my daughter.

Watching her face react to the fish, the sharks, and the penguins was absolutely priceless. We spent about 45 minutes in the aquarium and it might have been the best $10 I have ever spent. We then walked over to the bar because there was a band playing. She wandered out in to the middle of the empty dance floor and started swaying back and forth to the music. We listened for a few minutes and then shared an ice cream cone on the boardwalk. Definitely the best day of the summer for me.

The best day of Yankee season (so far) came on Friday, September 11. In the third inning, Derek Jeter lined a single to right field for his 2,722nd hit to pass Lou Gehrig as the Yankees all time hit leader. Jeter has been a model of consistency throughout his career, performing at the highest level, and playing the game the right way. Off the field, he has handled his status as the prince of the city without one misstep. No DUI's, no bad quotes, no drama...he just plays the game and dates gorgeous women. Jeter is a winner in every sense of the word.

This week, Bruce Springsteen celebrated his 60th birthday. It brought back memories of the night after his 50th birthday when he played the Philadelphia Spectrum and the following night in the First Union Center (now Wachovia Center). It was a very different time for me in seeing Springsteen and the E Street Band. I was seeing a lot of the material for the first time that year since before March, I had never seen the E Street Band.

The night after Bruce's birthday, September 24, 1999, they played a rescheduled show. The show was originally to take place the week before, but a hurricane forced it to be postponed. Of the six shows Bruce played in Philly, this was the only one in the Spectrum, which is a building that Bruce has been playing since 1976. It is also much smaller than the building next door. Bruce opened by playing a tape someone sent his mom with a song titled "The Big 50". From there, the band launched in to Growin' Up (tour premiere) and No Surrender. The other tour premieres that night were Does This Bus Stop at 82nd Street, The Fever, and the last song...Blinded By The Light. I was with my good friend, Will Smith, and after Land of Hope and Dreams, I said if he played anything else, it would be the best show of the tour. Blinded was simply amazing.

The following night, Bruce opened with Incident on 57th Street. My favorite song of all time...I almost left after the first song. Also played that night were New York City Serenade and Jungleland, making for one stunner of a show. After the show, me, Fresh, and the two Daves hung out in the parking lot for hours hitting softballs off the Spectrum. A great night capped by a call in to WFAN on the way back to Belmar. I am gearing up for another run of Bruce shows, including the a couple at the Spectrum. My last show of the tour, if plans hold, will be at the Spectrum and if by chance it is the last E Street Band show I ever see, it's a great great venue.

So...congratulations to the captain, happy birthday to the boss, and I can't wait for the next trip down the shore with Avery.

"It ain't no sin to be glad you're alive..." BS

JN

Bruce, Yankees, Giants, etc.

Just some more random thoughts for a Tuesday night.

- Ten years ago tonight, Bruce played the 14th of his run of 15 shows at the Meadowlands Arena. It was by far the best show of that stand. The tour was still in its early stages and the band was mixing in new material every night. While many thought the following night would be the best, it couldn't hold a candle to this one. Tour premieres included the opener, Night (played for the first time since 1984), New York City Serenade (played for the first time since 1975), and the closer...an amazing version of 4th of July, Asbury Park...also known as Sandy. I remember sitting on the side of the stage in the first level (Steven's side). Fresh and Marc Schwartz were sitting right above me in the second section. They headed to the hallway during Land of Hope and Dreams. When Bruce started Sandy, I saw Marc emerge from the tunnel and I thought he was coming over the railing. It was the first time something other than Land of Hope and Dreams closed a show on that tour. Just a great, great show.

The following night, Bruce did open with Jersey Girl and closed with Rosalita, and Jon Bon Jovi, Richie Sambora, and Melissa Etheridge guested on Hungry Heart, so it wasn't exactly a bad show. On a more personal note, my great friend Ira brought a date to the show named Alyson. They had just met at a wedding and she was coming up from DC. I gave him a hard time for bringing her to the last show of the run as it was their first date. Well, today they are married and live next door. I guess it's a good thing he didn't listen to my advice.

- Today is also the 6th anniversary of the best show of the 2003 stadium tour in Philadelphia, but that's a story for another day.

- The Yankees four game sweep of the Sox was a lot of fun. They won a blowout, an extra inning nail biter, a pitcher's duel, and finally, a come from behind win. Best of all, the pitching and the bullpen really stepped up. This series makes me believe that the Yankees could have a team that is capable of success in October.

- I rarely get excited for football season as I am usually so wrapped up in baseball this time of year. While I am completely wrapped up in baseball, I am optimistic about the Giants. I know there are some question marks regarding the receiving corps, but if they stay healthy, the defense will be special, and the offensive line should continue to push people around. As always, "if they stay healthy" is easier said (typed) than done.

- The economy is taking its toll on sports. Basketball players aren't getting the free agent contracts they expected or deserve. Baseball players lived through it last winter and Alex Rios was just given up by the Blue Jays because the White Sox agreed to pay his salary. The Blue Jays received NOTHING in return, except payroll relief. With football and basketball heading towards the expiration of their respective collective bargaining agreements, we could be in for work stopages (incredibly dumb if they let it happen) and major changes in the existing agreements for each league. Here's hoping that they all realize that they are sharing MILLIONS of dollars and should just share the pie fairly.

- StubHub has changed the landscape of the secondary ticket market. You can buy tickets to many events up until 5pm the day of the event. In many cases, the tickets will be emailed to you almost immediately. It really is a great service.

- Why is there a Ticketmaster App for the Blackberry, but not for the iPhone?

- Speaking of the iPhone, it's just an amazing device and the apps are amazing.

- My daughter continues to amaze me every day. I could type forever about all of the cool stuff she does and how funny she is. Maybe next time.

That's all for now...

"It ain't no sin to be glad you're alive"

JN

Perfect Day...

Ten years ago today, David Cone pitched his perfect game at Yankee Stadium against the Montreal Expos. Cone might have pitched a perfect game, but I seem to remember having a perfect day.

I started watching the game when I got home from work. Yogi Berra and George Steinbrenner had recently reconciled their differences and Yogi was being honored at The Stadium. I remember watching the ceremony and thought it was great that even though Yogi was being honored, he caught the ceremonial first pitch rather than throw it. Don Larsen did the honors.

I didn't get to watch the entire game as I had plans that night (more on that later). So, in about the 5th inning, I jumped in my car and sped up the Garden State Parkway. I was meeting my father and some other people for dinner. I pulled in to the restaurant about 20 minutes late and waited in the car for Cone to get through the top of the 8th. When he did, I raced in to the restaurant and looked for the TV. They didn't have one. I went over to the table and explained that I couldn't stay. I looked at my father and said "Coney's perfect through 8...I gotta go." Needless to say, he understood.

I don't remember what restaurant it was, or even what city, but nowhere in the immediate area could I find a place with a TV, so I sat in my car and listened as Cone completed his perfecto. What was more amazing than anything else was that he didn't walk anyone. Cone was not a control pitcher and was known for nibbling around the plate. It was amazing. It was also the Yankees third no-hitter in the last four years (Doc Gooden in 96 and David Wells in 98). Coincidentally, each of those years, they had also won The World Series.

When the game was over, I went back in to the restaurant, and told everyone the story of the game. After dinner, we were all going to see Bruce and the E Street Band at the Meadowlands Arena (then called Continental). It was the 2nd of 15 shows at the arena that summer. At the time, my father had a connection with someone that could get us some "working crew" passes so we could wander around backstage before the show. I didn't know why we were having dinner if we had these passes, but I was going with the flow.

When we got to the arena, we got the passes and made our way to the area right behind the stage. Nothing was going on, so we were just hanging out. About five minutes before the show, Paul O'Neill walked by. I gave him a big high five and asked him how come Coney wasn't with him. He said he was supposed to come, but with all of the excitement, he decided to bail. Still, it was amazing to see Paul on such a special day.

A few minutes later, Bruce and the band appeared. We were off to the side, not close enough to be in the way, but close enough to see. As each band member made his/her way up the stairs, Bruce shook everyone's hand, patted them on the back, and basically offered encouragement for a great show. As he made his way up the stairs, my father and I make our way towards our seats, which were pretty close to the stage.

I would see 12 of the 15 shows on that stand, but this show will always standout as it was my first time seeing Jungleland live. I gave me chills...literally. To have shared it with my father made it all the more special.

Tomorrow...my father and I are going to Old Timer's Day at The New Yankee Stadium. It certainly has the potential to be another perfect day.

"It ain't no sin to be glad you're alive"

JN

Happy 4th of July Weekend

A Happy 4th of July Weekend to everyone. Some random thoughts at the end of a great weekend.

- Yesterday was the 70th anniversary of Lou Gehrig's famous speech. The speech was delivered by a dying man, yet he considered himself "The luckiest man on the face of the earth." The speech focused on his family, his teammates, the Yankee management, and even the New York (baseball) Giants, but he didn't focus on himself. He was a man that played with power, grace, and humility and was a true role model, even at the end. All of Major League Baseball honored him on Saturday, rightfully so. However, couldn't they have gotten someone better than Dave Otto in Chicago???

- In 1998, Southside Johnny played The Tradewinds on 4th of July weekend. I remember right before the show, coming out of the men's room and standing there was Little Steven. He was looking for the men's room, so I pointed him in the right direction. I was too nervous to say anything. That night, Little Steven played two songs with The Jukes, including Hearts of Stone (Bobby had to remind him the chords), and Jon Bon Jovi sat in for the entire show playing rhythm guitar and singing back up. It was also Jeff Kazee's first show with The Jukes. It's been all down hill since, right Jeff?

- July 1, 2004 was the night that Derek Jeter jumped in to the stands after catching a pop up to end the 12th inning. The Yankees came back to win that game in the 13th with key hits from Miguel Cairo and John Flaherty. The Yankees swept that series and it was still a time when, as Yankee fans, we thought it was our birthright to beat The Sox. All of that would change about 14 weeks later and baseball hasn't been the same since.

- July 1, 2000 was the night Bruce ended the 1999-2000 tour with the 10th show at The Garden. I think this show deserves a blog entry of its own, but it will have to wait until the 10th anniversary, next year.

- July 3, 2009, Christine and I took Avery and our nephew Anthony to The New Yankee Stadium for the first time. It was Anthony's first trip to The Bronx for a game, but Avery went to one game at The Stadium. I hope it was the first of many trips for both. A great day, and the Yankees even delivered a win.

- July 6, 2009...tomorrow Jared and I make our first trip together to New Stadium. He hasn't been yet, and I am really looking forward to showing him the new ballpark. Nothing will ever replace The Stadium, but they did build a heck of a building.

That's all for now...

"It ain't no sin to be glad you're alive..."

JN

Some things I think...

First of all, a very happy birthday to my dear father, Philip D. Neuer, Esq., MCR.  A great dad, friend, and now grandfather.  Happy 63rd.

Now...to some things on my mind today.

I think my wife is amazing.  One week after bringing my daughter to the tailgate party before the Bruce show at the arena, she stayed up late last night making my father an Oreo cheesecake...from scratch.  Last week, she decided not to go to the show, but came with Avery to the parking lot to hang out pre-show.  It was a perfect day.  It was Avery's first tailgate.  It was Aunt Liz and Uncle Alan's first Bruce show.  I got to sit with my mother and David.  I got Sari in to the pit.  Bruce played Incident.  What more could I want?

I think the Bruce shows I saw on this run were great.  While I wish he would play more from the new album, I go to the shows with the mindset that I will have a better time than anyone else in the arena.  There are some that say he isn't challenging the audience enough. Meanwhile, he is not playing hits, he is taking requests, and while he might not be digging deep in to the catalog, he gives it his all every night. The new album has a very positive tone.  We aren't living in a very positive time for many.  Therefore, I think the place in the show where the new songs would go has been reserved for three songs, Seeds, Johnny 99, and The Ghost of Tom Joad, that speak to the times we are living in even more so than the new record.

I think my cousin, Mike Levine is amazing.  They had the annual Texas Hold Em last week and raised over $200,000 in a terrible economy.  Since Matthew was diagnosed with FSGS, Mike has been a crusader for the NephCure Foundation, taking on the challenge head-on.  They got some great PR the same night as the poker event with a segment on Fox News.  Here is a link for those that are interested.  Link to story.

I think Mark Cuban is a genius.  For those that don't know Mark Cuban, he is the owner of the Dallas Mavericks, HDNet, and other ventures.  He was the guest on The BS Report (Bill Simmons' podcast) this week and after 40 minutes I wanted to quit my job, move to Dallas, become a Mavericks fan, and work for him.  He thinks the next big growth industry will be genetic research.  I am not betting against him.

I still think Joe Girardi is a weak manager.

I think the season finale of Lost was amazing.  Anyone not watching this show should take the next seven months to catch up on DVD.

I think MLB Network is my favorite channel on television right now.  The nightly highlight shows are amazing.  One host and two former players go through the highlights and will cut to a live game if something exciting is happening.  Any baseball fan not taking advantage is missing out.

I think I like my iPhone almost as much as I liked my first TiVo.  It's close.

I think making the entire floor general admission for the Giants Stadium show was Bruce & company's way of screwing the ticket brokers.  I am not sure if it will work, but I give them credit for trying.  I am happy Bruce will be the last musical act at Giants Stadium.  If I had to bet, I would bet Bon Jovi is the first musical act in the new, yet to be named stadium.

I still think the Giants should go get Anquan Boldin.

I don't think ARod is responsible for the Yankees turnaround.  I think the starting pitching has been much better, taking the pressure off of the bullpen.  Yes, he has gotten some big hits and provides better protection for Big Tex, but I won't give ARod all of the credit.

I think Big Papi should start taking some better supplements.  We may live in a society where you are innocent until proven guilty, but every time Papi can't catch up to a 90 mile an hour fast ball, he is proving he was on something.  Kudos for him if he is clean now, but wow...he has stunk the first two months of the season.

I don't think I care Manny was juicing.  Is the 50 game suspension really a good punishment?  For someone as lazy as Manny, they should have made him play those 50 games, but not paid him.  So he lost $8m.  He doesn't care.  The punishment is in the public scrutiny.  The punishment is also more for the team than the player, although, the Dodgers are still playing really well.  Good job Mr. Torre.

I think that's enough for now.

"It ain't no sin to be glad you're alive..."  BS

JN

The House That Stick Built

Yankee Stadium was always known as The House That Ruth Built.  Babe Ruth arrived in New York in 1920 and by 1922, Yankee Stadium was under construction.  It opened in time for the 1923 season and Babe christened the new stadium with a home run in the first game.  

I think that the New Yankee Stadium should be known as The House That Stick Built.  

Gene Michael, whose nickname is Stick, deserves the credit for the Yankee Dynasty of the late '90's.  He was the general manager from 1990 - 1995.  During that time, he layed the ground work for the great Yankee teams that were to come.  

Now, you might be saying, "Sure...he built the team, but he didn't build the new stadium."  You might be right.  However, consider the following:

- In 1996, the Yankees attendance was 2,250,877.  In 2008, the attendance was 4,298,655.  In the years in between, the team set attendance records ten times.

- In 2002, the Yankees launched the YES Network.  They reported $60m in revenue from the network last year, but that doesn't include their ownership stake in the network.

- George Steinbrenner was suspended from baseball from 1990 - 1993 while Stick was busy assembling the core of the team.

- He was responsible for bringing Derek Jeter, Andy Pettitte, Jorge Posada, Mariano Rivera, and Paul O'Neill among others to the Bronx.  In addition, he was patient with the young players including Bernie Williams allowing them to mature rather than trade them for established players.

- He signed Jimmy Key as a free agent.  While Jimmy Key was only on one of the championship team, his signing was vital to the team's success.  In the early 90's, the Yankees were not a favored destination for free agents.  In fact, that same winter, Greg Maddux turned down more money from the Yankees to sign with the Braves.  Key's signing helped turn around the perception among players in the game.

Many people are calling The New Stadium The House That George Steinbrenner Built.  Without Gene Michael's work, the Yankees would not have won the four championships between 1996 and 2000.  Without those championships, the Yankees brand would not have the cache that it has today.  They likely would not have the YES Network and they certainly would not be the largest road draw in baseball.

Other people are calling The New Stadium The House That Derek Jeter Built.  Without Mariano Rivera (among others), Jeter would not have four rings.  As great as Derek is, he is not Babe Ruth.  He didn't change the way the game is played.  He doesn't dominate the game.  He is our captain and he is great, but Derek didn't build the stadium.

I know the Mets also moved in to a new stadium this year. I also know that they didn't win four championships.  I know they also have a network.  I think that the Yankees success helps the Mets.  The Yankees popularity helps raise the awareness of baseball in the city.  Is it a coincidence that the Mets attendance figures trail the Yankees? Is it a coincidence that the Mets launched their network four years after the Yankees?  If the Yankees hadn't built a new stadium, the Mets wouldn't have been able to either.

So, you could actually say that Gene Michael was responsible for building both stadiums in New York.  You could say he was responsible for launching two television networks.  I do say that he is more responsible than anyone else for the four champioships.  More responsible than Joe Torre, who couldn't have done it without the players.  More responsible than George Steinbrenner who would have ripped up the team had he been involved.  More responsible than Jeter, Mariano, or anyone else who couldn't have done it without their teammates.

Enjoy The House That Stick Built.  I'm sticking with my theory until someone convinces me otherwise.

"It ain't no sin to be glad you're alive" - BS

JN

March 18, 1999

Ten years ago today, I attended my 22nd Bruce show.  It also happened to be my first show seeing Bruce with the E Street Band.

The show was billed as an hour long rehearsal and as you can see by the ticket stub above, the ticket price was $20, plus Ticketmaster fees.  It was the first time Bruce had played Convention Hall and he talked about seeing The Who and The Blues Magoos in the building. 

My expectations were high, but I figured we would get about an hour and fifteen minutes, but I couldn't wait.  My seats were directly behind the soundboard.  As I was standing waiting for the lights to go down, I noticed the set list taped to the equipment.  I didn't want to look...but I had to.  Yes, I HAD TO.  When I started reading the list, my first thought was, "he can't do all of those songs in an hour."  He didn't.

The band came out, one by one, and Bruce came out last.  He then approached the mic, counted off, and a force more powerful than I had seen on stage before took over.  They launched in to Prove It All Night, and did they ever.  With Bruce and Steven trading "yeah"s on the same mic and a searing guitar solo from Bruce, I was mesmerized.  From there, they launched in to Two Hearts, one of my favorites, with Bruce and Steven again sharing the same mic for much of the song.  I knew that I needed to be at as many shows this coming summer as possible.

I won't go through song by song, but it ended up being a 23 song show that last two and a half hours.  He debuted My Love Will Not Let You Down, which was on Tracks, and closed with a new song which would become a staple of the tour, Land of Hope and Dreams.  It was apparent that they were still trying to figure things out as the band assumed that after 10th Avenue Freeze Out they would break for intermission.  They started to walk off stage and Bruce called them back and said that they didn't need an intermission any more.  The show truly blew me away.  The following night, Bruce played for two hours and forty five minutes with a 25 song set including the premiere of Give The Girl A Kiss and the first live performance of The Promise since 1978, played solo by Bruce on piano.

He called the show a re-dedication of the band and it was exactly that. Over the last 10 years, there have been many more shows in Convention Hall, both rehearsals and holiday shows and The E Street Band has been an ongoing concern with new albums and new tours, including another starting next month.

It seems like yesterday, but ten years is a long time.  I had only recently started in real estate.  I was making no money.  Let me repeat that for emphasis.  I was making NO MONEY.  Yet, all I could think about when I left those shows was that I couldn't miss a show.  I couldn't risk missing something magical.  I said that I needed to attend every show possible in case he played Incident, Jungeleland, or Frankie.  I saw all three that year.

It's been a great ride...and I can't wait for it to start again next month.  Show #147 is scheduled for April 22nd in Boston, unless of course he schedules a rehearsal show in Convention Hall before they hit the road.  I am going to hit Boston, Philly, Nassau, and East Rutherford on this leg of the tour.  Who's in?

"It ain't no sin to be glad you're alive..."  BS 

From Badlands...played 3/18/99 and every other night that tour.

JN