March Is For Madness

March Madness grips us all, even the President! Check out Obama's picks for the men's and women's NCAA tournament!

Attention sports fans, the NCAA March Madness is upon us! It’s the most exciting time of year for college hoops, there’s betting and basketball rivalries, and debates over who will be the NBA and WNBA stars of tomorrow. This year will be the first time all 67 games in this year’s NCAA tournament will be televised nationally so that everyone can watch every game! Even the President is getting in on the action, you can check out Obama’s very own bracket predictions on his Obama Bracket website! So how do you get in on the fun you ask?

Well obviously first you want to take on Obama to see if your bracket picks make it farther than his, but then my next suggestion is to gather your friends and head to some sports bars! Whether you’re a college basketball fanatic or neophyte, watching these exciting games with a group is always better. Especially if you can get some deals on wings or nachos and some drink specials at the same time! But sometimes even choosing a place to watch the games be a challenge, especially in a big city where sports bars can be found on every block!

New York Magazine recognizes this and has created a bracket for the top 32 NYC sports bars! If you’re not in the New York area use the RestaurantRow.com’s mobil app to find a sports bar near you and don’t forget to submit a review. And don’t be afraid to hit up the chain restaurants either. Applebees’s and Buffalo Wild Wings have ample TV’s and even games and contests for diners to participate in!

Don’t be sexist, make sure to check out the women’s games as well, these ladies play hard and can ball like crazy!

Related articles

• Obama camp launches NCAA March Madness ‘bracket challenge’ (thehill.com)
• March Madness: You Pick The Winner Contest (bradsdeals.com)
• You: Tips stats for filling out your March Madness Bracket (sportsviews.com)
• PocketBracket for NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament (themactrack.com)
• O’Neil: Why the Madness makes March wonderful (espn.go.com)

It’s Almost Game Time!! Super Bowl XLVI

Super Bowl weekend is here! What will you be munching on come game time?

It’s time for Super Bowl 2012!!!! The NY Giants and the NE Patriots are the only contenders left for the ultimate NFL title, but you still have time to decide who will emerge victorious in the important decision about food! Super Bowl party hosts will be deciding between the usual take out food contenders, who will win at your house? You probably already know who you want to win the big game, but when it comes to grub the options are harder to narrow down. Will it be pizza or wings? Sandwiches or Nachos?

We have to wait until Sunday to find out who will win Super Bowl XLVI, but if you’re smart and don’t want to go hungry for the big game, you’re already figuring out what you are going to serve or bring to your Super Bowl party. And the big restaurant chains are ready for you with all kinds of deals to influence you to choose their “team.”

According to a poll from the National Restaurant Association, 61% of Americans said they would order pizza this Sunday. Fun fact, more pies are sold on Super Bowl Sunday then any other day of the year! The three big contenders are Pizza Hut, Domino’s, and Papa John’s. As the “official pizza sponsor” of the NFL, Papa John’s expects to deliver 9 million slices!

I myself really like pizza, but I’m trying to stay healthy so maybe I’ll see which one of these has the best looking salad pizza? However, some of the people coming over to our house never watch a game without their wings and nachos. Decisions, decisions . . . one thing is for sure though, I’m all in for my NY Giants to beat those Pats for the second time!! GO BIG BLUE!!

NBA Lockout Is Over! Maybe

The return of basketball means a return to work for those who work at stadiums like Madison Square Garden.

This year has been pretty traumatic for sports fans; two lockouts, the second resulting in a stalled NBA basketball season. But after this holiday weekend we may have something else to be thankful for . . . a “tentative agreement” has been reached between the NBA players and owners. All that’s left to be done is for both sides to sign on the dotted line and Santa will bring us a triple header season opener on Christmas Day!

I don’t think basketball inspires its fans to watch the game with friends at the local watering hole the way that football does during its regular season, but perhaps with all this extra anticipation we will see some “back to basketball” deals at happy hour. One can dream at least.

While it may not have the sports bar tradition of beer and wings like football, basketball fans definitely do turn out for the live games. I’m sure that arenas around the country are glad they won’t have to fill an entire season’s worth of slots to fill the void left by cancelled basketball games. As a Knicks fan, this lockout has been particularly disheartening because I was really looking forward to an entire season of A’mare and Carmelo after we finally made it to the playoffs last season for the first time in 10 years!

Mar'e and Melo as well as Madison Square Garden and basketball fans everywhere might soon have somthing to smile about again.

Fingers crossed for Chris Paul to make the move from the Big Easy to the Big Apple! Then New York will have it’s own “Big Three” (take that Miami!) And that would be the best Christmas present ever . . . and provide the perfect occasion for heading out to the sports bars to take in some b-ball.

Related articles

• Area basketball fans rejoice over NBA deal – Newsday (newsday.com)
• Can the NBA Steal Christmas? (online.wsj.com)
• Breaking News: Tentative deal ends 149-Day NBA Lockout. (wheneverwhereeverwhatever.wordpress.com)
• Carmelo Anthony, NBA Stars Cancel 4-Game Tour (newyork.cbslocal.com)

Yankees Are Still Alive

Grab a Legendary Burger at the Hard Rock Cafe at Yankee Stadium!

It was a do or die situation for the Yankees and last night’s 10-1 win over the Tigers tied up the series bringing the Bronx Bombers back home for game 5. AJ Burnett played a particularly awesome game and it was much needed after struggling for most of the season. But the Yanks still have a long way to go before they reach the World Series, a feat which of course, us Yankee fans have come to expect from our boys in pin stripes.

And speaking of coming a long way, the food sold at Major League Baseball games has come a long way over the years. A hot dog with mustard or ketchup, a typical ball game snack, is rarely seen in the hands of fans anymore. Now that we know for sure the Yanks will be back in the BX, let’s see what other types of food vendors are getting in on the action at the stadium. And we don’t blame them either, Yankee Stadium can seat up to 52,325 people per game! That’s a lot of mouths to feed!

Yankee fans are able to grab a bite to enjoy tomorrow’s game at two sit down restaurants and about twenty different concession stands. While you are still able to grab a traditional hot dog at most of these stands, choices range from noodle bowls and sushi located in Section 127 to fresh fruit and vegetables from Melissa’s Farmer’s Market located by Gate 4. And while a traditional cold beer is always an option, the Food Court Bar also offers daiquiris, piña coladas, mojitos, wine and cocktails.

If you’re looking to enjoy a more relaxed sit down meal before the Yankees dominate (because as we know they’re going to the World Series) you have two options, The Hard Rock Cafe Yankee Stadium and NYY Steak. Besides their award winning menu, the Hard Rock features 12 TV screens that broadcast the game in case you decide to chow down sometime between innings. The restaurant also features memorabilia from the Hard Rock Collection with an emphasis on New York entertainers and the Yankees. NYY Steak is more upscale and serves the finest dry aged USDA Prime steaks and fresh seafood including fresh Alaskan King Crab. Inside the restaurant you can also find a custom made ‘signature wall’ featuring 86 signatures of legendary Yankee players. While you need to be a tickholder on game days to dine at the restaurant, NYY Steak is also open past the game’s 9 innings and on non-game days. Both restaurants are located at Gate 6 in Yankee Stadium.

The wall of signatures of Yankee Legends at NYY Steak

So next time you come down to the ballpark keep in mind the great selection of grub available and bring your appetite because believe me there will be more than enough options to satisfy your taste buds! And even if you can’t make it down to the stadium this season, The Hard Rock and NYY Steak are open year round for us who are fans of the game and fans of good food.

Related articles

• Cano’s slam finishes Tigers in Game 1 rout (mlb.mlb.com)
• 2011 MLB Playoffs: 4 Reasons the Tigers-Yankees Series Won’t Return to the Bronx (bleacherreport.com)
• Yankees- The Original Fall Guys (milepostsproductions.wordpress.com)