It's Saturday morning and I'm at a Starbucks on Indian Bend Road at Loop 101, Scottsdale. I'm going to the Celebrate Art festival for a couple of hours. Over 100 artists have set up white tents to sell their art and hold demonstrations of how they work. I received a free ticket from an artist while I was at an art festival two weeks ago in Carefree.

Later in the day I'll check out the scene in Scottsdale, party central for the Super Bowl. I may also drive back to downtown Glendale where they are having an outdoor art and antique show. The Westgate City Center is located across the street from the stadium and is playing hosts to a number of events and parties, so I need to make a visit there, too. The ESPN outdoor broadcast booth is located there.

Tonight I'll be back to the Casino Arizona for some poker and a free dinner. I would like to attend the party being hosted by John Travolta tonight, but tickets are hard to come by as you can imagine. It will be the "event" to see all the celebrities in town. Terrell Owens is also hosting a party, but he's a jerk and you couldn't pay me enough to attend his ego-fest.

The Super Bowl NFL Experience

I drove west on Interstate 10 to Loop 101 North. Once you make the exit, it's only a few minutes before you see the University of Phoenix Stadium on the east side of the highway. My destination was the NFL Experience, an interactive "football theme park" located in the parking lot next to the stadium.

The stadium looks like a huge silver spaceship that has landed in the desert. As you get closer to it, you really appreciate the enormity of the complex. I took the wrong exit, of course, and had to drive around to the other side to reach the entrance of the NFL Experience. Signs leading the way abbreviated the event as "NFLX". (I wonder if there is a topless bar up the street for the players called "NFLXXX"?)


I took this picture of a sign in the parking lot showing the layout. I had to park in the "Green Lot" on the upper left side of the stadium, then take a long walk south of the complex t0 the "NFL Experience" colored purple on the map on the right side (west) of the stadium. The point is: it was a very long walk! I was wore out before I even bought my ticket. They had golf carts for the disabled and elderly, however.

By the way, it cost $10 to park and $17.50 for an adult ticket. The ticket charge covered all the NFLX rides, shows, games, and there were lots of free things being handed out. So I guess the price is reasonable. Food was another story. Be prepared to pay $9 for a chicken sandwich or $6 for some nachos. Bottled water was $4 and soft drinks were $6. I passed on eating and drinking.

The long line above was the second line I had to negotiate. The first line snaked around forever, leading you to the ticket booth. Once you had your ticket, you were stuck in another line at the entrance of the NFLX park area. The lines moved quickly, so it wasn't that bad.

An estimated 200,000 were expected to make it through the gates. Another 125,000 people were attending the PGA tour event in Scottsdale (The FBR Open), where Phil Mickelson was losing again. Tiger Woods isn't playing, so the record-setting crowd at the golf tournament was a surprise. Phoenix is one busy sports town this weekend.

This is a view looking back toward the entrance to the park.

My biggest thrill was to see the actual Super Bowl trophy that will be handed to the Patriots when they beat the Giants on Sunday. It was at the center of the theme park in its own little "shed" providing you with a view from all four sides. If you wanted to stand in line, you could stand by it and have your picture taken.

They call the NFL Experience "interactive" because of the various games you can play. The man above is in the "Passing" area of huge white tent set up with various games. He's trying to throw the ball through the hoop that moves slowly from left to right.

The Topps Card Show tent was enormous. Inside dozens of booths were set up selling cards and memorabilia. One booth was raffling off boxes of cards, with a crowd of about 50 people jumping around like monkeys hoping to win something.

Some of the dealers had jerseys from various players that were "authentic game jerseys worn by players in an actual game." Some of the jerseys looked as if they had not been cleaned, grass stains and mud still intact.

I took this photo of a Tony Romo sticky wall poster at the Fathead booth. Tony being a fathead, it seemed appropriate. (I'm still mad at him and the Pokes for sucking so bad in the playoffs.)

Outdoor interactive games included the above area, where you had the chance to punt the ball to Home Depot volunteers. Whoever kicked the punt when I took this picture really got his leg into it. The ball bounced off the net above my head and fell into the waiting arms of a volunteer.

I was on my way to the NFL Network stage when I saw this guy operating a boom with a camera on it, broadcasting crowd shots. He was "at one" with the boom, looking more like an alien from the planet Transformaton.

As you exit the park area you walk by the main entrance to the stadium. The huge "XLII" sign out front is very cool.

The NFLX is a "must-see" for any football fan, especially if you have kids. The theme park is divided into various phases of the game (passing, kicking, receiving, running, etc.) providing interactive games for both adults and kids. One tent was a "Clinic" that demonstrated various rules of the game and defined such violations as defensive pass interference, false starts, and roughing the passer. NFL sponsors like the Home Depot, Sony, Pepsi, and Burger King all had interactive tents.

I admit it was fun, but I was acutely aware of the gross commericialization of the whole "experience". I felt like I had been sucked into a Super Bowl halftime commercial on steriods.

Downtown Phoenix...I Think I'm Lost

I left Tucson this morning and drove north on Interstate 10 to Phoenix, arriving here about Noon. Once in town I took the Glendale Ave. exit, but went east instead of west, and found myself north of downtown Phoenix.

If you come here, avoid Central Ave. due to construction. Central Ave. cuts the Phoenix metro area north and south into two pieces, and is therefore a heavily traveled road. But it's being widened and is undergoing a major construction effort, so avoid it at all cost.

I found a Starbucks on 7th Ave near downtown and I'm sitting here looking at a map trying to figure out where I am. I have found the University of Phoenix stadium in Glendale and will drive there next. A Starbucks employee gave me some good directions, too. He said, "Look for the Ferris Wheel, helicopters, and blimps."

The weather is perfect, mid 60s and sunny. I'll be posting here throughout the weekend, so keep in touch.

Super Bowl, Here I Come!

It's time to drive north tomorrow...to Phoenix, actually, Glendale...for Super Bowl weekend. I'll be staying in Scottsdale and attending an arts festival there, in addition to having some fun with the Super Bowl events. The entire Phoenix metro area (Glendale, Scottsdale, Tempe) are all going crazy, as you can imagine, to hold events during the weekend. This is a HUGE event for the area, and they are going to take advantage of it.

For my family and friends living in the Dallas/Fort Worth metro area, this will give them a glimpse of what the Super Bowl will be like when it comes to the Dallas Cowboys new stadium complex in 2011.

Below is a short list of events. I'm not sure which ones I'll check out, but it should be fun.

Celebrity Night at the Tables - February 1, 944 Village at the Scottsdale Waterfront
Arizona Super Bowl Host Committee's Super Taste of the Valley - 6-9 pm, Sunday, December 2
ESPN Broadcast Center, SouthBridge, January 28 - February 4, south side of Marshall Way trolley/pedestrian bridge
Hearts and Helmets - Pamela Anderson's Celebrity Party & Shawn Marion's Charity Poker Tournament, 5:30 p.m. to 1:30 a.m., January 30, Scottsdale
Ashlee Simpson performing Live at Myst on January 30. Doors open at 8 p.m.
Kevin Sorbo Celebrity Golf Classic - January 30-31, Talking Stick Golf Course
Westcor & Spree! The Art of Shopping - Are You Ready for SUPER Shopping that will BOWL You Over? Mornings, Thursday, January 31-Saturday, February 2.
E4 Football Bash, January 31 to February 3, from 2:00 p.m. to 2:00 a.m. daily
Martini Ranch Stetson Block Party, January 31 to February 3, Stetson between Drinkwater amd Wells Fargo
7th Annual Players' Wives Fashion Show - 10am-1pm, Friday, February 1 adjacent to Marshall Way near Scottsdale Fashion Square.
ESPN The Magazine Super Bowl Pary - Scottsdale Civic Center Mall on February 1-2
P.Diddy Block Party - January 31 at Axis/Radius.
Diet Pepsi Rookie of the Year - Barcelona on February 1
Entourage Super Bash - hosted by Kevin Dillon and Baby Bash. At Myst on February 1.
Snoop Dogg performs at the Bud Bowl - Axis/Radius on February 1
Leather & Laces hosted by Carmen Electra - Galleria Corporate Center on February 1
2008 Landshark Big Game Bash - Jimmy Buffett's Margaritaville, Glendale on February 1
Coors Light Super Bowl Event - Vice the Party/Coors Light, Feb. 1 and Feb. 2, Craftsman Court, between Third and Fifth Ave.
Coors Light Craftsman Court Scottsdale Block Party, Downtown Scottsdale February 1-2
Bud Bowl featuring Kid Rock - Axis/Radius February 2.
Sports Illustrated - Barcelona on February 2
Taste of the NFL XVII- Phoenix Convention Center on February 2
Saturday Night Spectacular hosted by John Travolta and Marshall Faulk - Galleria Corporate Center on February 2
NEXT O8 at the Super Bowl - Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts on February 2
Gridiron Greats Super Jam at Hotel Scottsdale

And the above events are just a few of the things happening. Some of the events in Glendale, the home of the Arizona Cardinals and the Super Bowl stadium at the University of Phoenix complex: the NFL Experience, and the NFL Player Parade & Autograph Session at 6 p.m. at the Westgate City Center.

I'll be in Glendale Friday morning and will begin my adventure there.

OK, so I lied. I missed posting here yesterday. And I've only got a few minutes to check in. I'm currently reading the online version of Variety and see that Oliver Stone has funds now to film "Bush" with Josh Brolin. Supposedly an honest portrait, like his earlier film "Nixon", OS will undoubtedly make Bush look silly and heavily sedated. Will it make the theaters by election day?

I'm out.

Where the Hell is Mitch?

Geez, it's been a while since I've posted here. I've been keeping my other blogs updated pretty well, but for some reason I find that I've neglected this one. What gives?

Anyway, I am committed to doing more writing here. I'm learning it takes time to keep blogs updated, especially since I have four blogs I'm trying to update--probably not a smart thing. I'm thinking I need to combine all my blogs into one. But that doesn't appeal to me, either.

My interest are in the areas of writing, poker, photography/art, and travel. Thus the four blogs. I guess I just need to be more disciplined and each day take the time to update each blog. My travel blog, my traveling journal while I'm on the road touring the Southwest, is usually the one I get to first. Then, if I have time, I will update my poker blog since I play a lot of poker. My photography/art blog and this writing blog have been neglected.

I hope this year to do much better. Having said that, I'll see you tomorrow...I promise. What will I be writing about? I have no idea.

He sat down next to me, on the left, though I would have preferred him on my right side.

Bald, tall, young, and rude. "Service," he barked out to no one in particular. I could tell I wasn't going to like this guy. I detest arrogance in most forms, and this guy was drooling in it. His entire routine at the table was a cry to everyone there, "Watch out, I'm here now, so don't mess with me." One thing he would do which is really annoying: splash chips. Some players like to toss their chips into the pot from on-high, tossing them into the air with a flurry, having them drop with a splashy noise as they hit the felt. Of course, most of the time the chips roll and skip all over the table making the dealer chase after them.

After two hands he immediately requested a seat change. Why? Who knows. When a girl from the kitchen finally arrived he ordered three waters, not one or two. Everything this guy did was over the top. After getting beat by a bad river card, he chastised the winner by saying "Nice catch, buddy" in such a way it made you squirm. Of course, minutes later he beat me in a hand by catching a gut shot on the turn. I was tempted to say "Nice catch, buddy", but did not. He couldn't just win, though. He had to add a comment while turning over his winning cards, "You won't like it, buddy, but I've got the nuts."

Some players at the table will just rub you the wrong way. This kind of player grinds on me like sand paper. I usually don't mind it though, because in the long run I get their money. I've learned that poker is a game of playing people, too, not just cards.

I'm trying to become better at reading people, and gathering information from them. I had no problem tagging the player above as an aggressive, loose, asshole (ALA, is my term). An ALA is easy to read most of the time. Their personalities give them away. I'm going to call an ALA more times than not, because they will play any two cards and raise with a wide range of hands. I'll try to ignore their antics and abusive comments, which usually drives them crazy. Online poker has produced a million ALA's, and when they come to a live game it can be entertaining.

Something else I will always attempt to do: talk to players around me and find out everything I can about them. Is that guy an engineer? He's probably a tight, cautious, player and will only play good cards. He'll over-analyze the game and rarely bluff. I had one player tell me he liked to play 5-7 because it was his birthday. I used that information against him later by adding that hand to his range of possible hands on a flop of 7-7-K. Sure enough, he had the 5-7 for a set. I try to be talkative without giving out any personal information. I'm pretty good at speaking BS without saying anything of substance. I will almost never talk about hand strategy or about what cards I like to play. I try to remain a mystery. Of course, if they read my blog, the gig is up.

Poker is about people. It is a social game. That's why I hate playing online. Sure, online you have the chat function which allows you to make comments while playing. And some players will get on the phone with other players during a game...which is a possible collusion problem. So, I will never play online for any real money. I prefer to see the players in front of me, at the table, with all of their antics, and their willingness to provide me with information I can use to make more money.

It's a beautiful morning in Tucson. Yesterday it rained all day, so I knew today would be a nice day. It rains just enough here to clear the air and make the sky so blue you can almost touch it, like a pastel painting.

I'm sitting on the patio of my favorite hangout near the University of Arizona campus drinking a "grande skinny cinnamon dolce latte", noted on my cup as a "SCDL". The air is crisp, the temperature is perfect for a sunny morning, and I'm doing nothing. What a life.


The view from here provides a glimpse of a major college campus on a school day. Bike riders pass me scooting along like wheeled snakes, darting in and out of traffic. Signs remind cars to park "Backwards Only for Bikers", so along University Drive every car is parked with headlights facing toward the street. Students walk past the patio where I've set up temporary camp, most with backpacks, pierced ears and noses. Flip-flops are the shoe of choice for many. I see one particular guy almost every morning walking to class, and I silently giggle at his dress code: big brown shoes and brown socks to the knee, Hawaiian shorts with a floral theme, white T-shirt (always a white T-shirt). He's a bulky human, not unlike a local Sasquatch, with dark hairy arms and unshaven beard. Of course, every Sasquatch you see must have an iPod, so this one is no exception.

The Marriott Hotel is in the distance across from me, and so is the La Salsa Mexican restaurant. A Pei Wei restaurant is next to the La Salsa, providing students with an international variety of foods. Local bars make up the remainder of University Drive, along with a donut shop, a few clothing stores and a student book store.

I took this picture to remind me of location. University Drive leads to the main entrance of the University of Arizona. The "Downtown Centro" sign is one of hundreds you see around town telling tourists where downtown is located. Actually, the city of Tucson is user-friendly and I've had no problem learning how to get around town. The colored banner hanging from the light post is a nice design highlighting the "Main Gate Square", the name given to this shopping development.

This tree reflects the time of year. It is winter. I noticed the one leaf, dead, hanging on, until the next wind gust blows it away. The tree is right in front of me as I sit here, and I took the picture to remind me that I'm alot like that leaf. Although I'm not dead, I sometimes feel like I'm hanging on, trying to avoid a gust of wind, so I might continue to enjoy the nice weather and blue sky above me.

Not much going on this week other than a little work, a little play, and enjoying some wonderful weather for late January. This week has been mostly sunny and warm, although today the rain is in town. It won't be here long.

I saw "Cloverfield" and feel obligated to offer a quick review. First, I immediately got it: this film was "Blair Witch Project" meets "Godzilla" on "9/11". It is a very cool movie in the sense that it's unconventional and has an emotional punch that is unexpected. After all, it is a monster flick. The special effects are above average and the images of Manhattan under attack did bring back some eerie emotions I felt on 9/11/01.

Second, "Cloverfield" is shot by a hand-held camera ("Blair Witch" style) and thus the shaky images will make some movie-goers toss their lunch. I didn't feel sick, only distracted. I tired of it after a while and wished the filmmakers had provided more of a break by keeping the damn camera still for a second or two.

Third, the plot and acting were fine, no complaints. In fact, most of the actors were unknown to me and were very good, which added a sense of reality to the whole thing. I had a problem later on with Hud, who was dumb as a rock. I grew tired of his dim-bulb routine. I also had to accept the incredibly silly idea that a guy running from creepy-crawlies and monsters would keep recording the action on his camera. I kept saying to Hud under my breath, "Throw the camera down, you idiot, and run for your life."
_________________________________

I've been playing poker more seriously this month as I prepare for the World Series of Poker this summer in Las Vegas. You can read my poker blog at http://www.7seat.com/ (or http://www.sevenseat.com/ ). I'm not playing in the Big Event, but will be concentrating on the cash games surrounding the events. Participating in the mayhem of the WSOP is on my "Bucket List" of things to do before I die, so this summer I should be able to check that particular adventure off my list.
_________________________________

I'll be in Phoenix this weekend for the Super Bowl, though I don't have tickets. I will be in town to see the NFL Experience and participate in some of the Super Bowl events surrounding the game. The game is actually being played in University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, home of the Arizona Cardinals.
_________________________________

I purchased an 8-game packet to see the Texas Rangers next month as they begin Spring Training in Surprise, Arizona. Therefore, it appears I'll be staying in Arizona at least through March. Then it's likely in April I'll head west for a few weeks before landing in Las Vegas for the WSOP in June and July.