GOLFTOURS.COM NAMES THE (5) HOTTEST DOMESTIC GOLF TRAVEL DESTINATIONS FOR 2011

GOLFTOURS.COM NAMES THE (5) HOTTEST DOMESTIC GOLF TRAVEL DESTINATIONS FOR 2011

1. Greenbrier Sporting Club, White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia

2. TPC Sawgrass, Jacksonville, Florida

3. Bali Hai Golf Club, Las Vegas, Nevada

4. The American Club, Kohler Wisconsin

5. Innisbrook Golf Resort, Tampa Florida

Golftours.com the leading company for golf travel and golf packages to destinations such as Scotland, Ireland, Spain, and the United States announced its 2011 (Spring) list of the most requested domestic golf trips on its site.

“There are so many great luxury golf travel destinations here in the United States but a handful seem to usually stick out as the most preferred golf vacation spots. The golf destinations that made our list are all incredible sites for golf trips and golf travel. It was really encouraging to see that these golf travel locations are spread out all over the country and that folks are leaving home again to take golf vacations.” said Robert Tuchman a partner at Skylight Group which owns golftours.com.

Golftours.com releases its most requested destinations each quarter for both domestic golf travel as well as international golf travel.

“Were excited to see how much passion people have for the places that they like to go to for their golf vacation. There are so many great golf travel spots in the world and although we only name the top five each season we do receive thousands of requests for golf trips for so many golfing locations.” said Brett Sklar a partner at Skylight Group which owns golftours.com.

Golftours.com will release its top (5) hottest international golf travel destination list later this month.

About Golftours.com

Golftours.com is the world leader in golf travel vacations and golf packages to international destinations including Scotland, Ireland, Portugal, and Spain. Goltours.com is part of the Skylight Group holding company.

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Rangers Light up Madison Square Garden

The New York Knicks are not the only team attracting fans to Madison Square Garden as the New York Rangers are heating up the ice.

After a huge win and their most improbable win this season over NHL’s best team the Vancouver Canucks. Rangers’ goaltender, Henrik Lundqvist has been the most dazzling for his club, shutting down opponents and making it difficult for them to score. The Rangers just stand four points away from the Philadelphia Flyers in a battle for first place in the Eastern Conference and are currently 26-16-3. The 24-year old left winger Wotjek Wolski, who was acquired from the Phoenix Coyotes on Monday felt right at home when he scored the winning goal against Vancouver. “The crowd gives you a little bit of extra energy,” said Wolski, “Everyone jumped off and they were very excited. It did have that feeling of something special.”

Daily News sports writer Jesse Spector said, “By the end of the night, it was a playoff atmosphere at the Garden, with the fans chanting “USA” and rising to their feet to salute one of the most impressive performances of the season by the Blueshirts.”

If you are a sports fan, then you would love to be a part of this experience. Every time you walk near The Garden, you feel the electricity and can be a part of something special. New York City is the place to be now with its teams performing at their best and giving fans reasons why Madison Square Garden is called “The World’s Most Famous Arena”.

Being that Madison Square Garden is located in the heart of New York City, just two blocks down is the Empire State Building, where you can go to the top of the sky scraper and witness a breathtaking view of New York City. A couple of blocks away is the eye-popping Times Square and enjoy a meal at The View, a revolving restaurant on top of the Marriott Hotel right in the middle of Times Square.

If you are visiting New York City and need a place to stay, then New York’s beautiful and amazing Hotel Pennsylvania located right across from Madison Square Garden is where you want to be.

Don’t miss any of the action! For tickets to games or travel packages to see your favorite team, be sure to visit Premiere Global Sports. Click here for more information.

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The January 10 BCS National Championship game between Oregon and Auburn is a match-up not even Mel Kiper Jr., college football’s Mr. know-it-all, could have predicted.

When the preseason rankings were released, with Oregon at #11 and Auburn at #22, these were two teams many expected would play in a far less coveted bowl game, yet after unbelievable seasons that saw both teams go undefeated, the Ducks and Tigers have shown they deserve to be playing for the national title.

Both Oregon and Auburn have electric offenses (Oregon topped the nation with 49.7 points per game, Auburn was seventh with 42.7) but defense could be the key to next Monday’s highly anticipated game. Oregon’s defense has been stellar throughout the season, allowing a measly 18.4 points per game, Auburn’s defense stumbled as the season wore on; over their last eight games Auburn allowed over 28 points per contest.

Despite the inconsistency of the Auburn defense, you would be hard-pressed to find anyone bold enough to bet against Auburn and their Heisman-winning quarterback Cam Newton. And although Newton suffered through a tumultuous, accusation-ridden season, he was still able to win college football’s most prestigious award, accounting for 48 touchdowns along the way.

Oregon has their own not-so-secret weapon in running back LaMichael James, who was one of the finalists for this year’s Heisman trophy. James, who celebrated his sophomore year by being more elusive than the Loch Ness monster, racked up over 1,600 yards on the ground and 21 touchdowns, grounds for a Heisman in a Cam Newton-less world. Even though James was only mildly disappointed that he missed out on the esteemed award, he noted that everything is secondary to the national title, “Winning the national championship, that’s the main goal,” he said. “I’ve always thought about that. I always wanted to be the guy holding up the little ball and giving it a kiss and all that good stuff.”

Whoever this game’s spark plug may be, whether it is Newton, James, or another awesomely talented young man, one thing that is for certain is both teams will arrive in Glendale hungry for a win; Auburn has not won a national championship in over 50 years and the Ducks have never won a title. With the quality cast of each team, this year’s BCS title game is shaping up to be one heck of a show, but keep your eyes open, because if you blink you just might miss it.

Lucky enough to be in Arizona but not lucky enough to have tickets to the game? That’s fine; Glendale, Arizona is choc-full of exhilarating activities! You could check out where the championship game will be played by taking a guided tour of the University of Phoenix stadium on a non-game day.

If walking around the stadium will be too painful for you because you know you won’t be able to catch the big game head over to nearby Scottsdale where the town holds a weekly Scottsdale Art Walk. Every Thursday evening you’ve got the option to take “America’s Original Art Walk” for free!

Another great tour to take is of the Ceretta Candy Company factory; the tour lasts for only 30 minutes and you’ll be taste testing for a large portion of that time as you stroll around downtown Glendale’s family-owned candy factory.

For all your sports travel needs Premiere Global Sports has you covered!

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Rivalry Renewed: Miami vs. New York

Take this match up back a few seasons and it would have absolutely no meaning whatsoever.  But history has shown that the heated rivalry between the Miami Heat and the New York Knicks can get ugly.  Just ask Jeff Van Gundy.

Rivalry renewed.  Lebron James will enter into what is now enemy territory when the Heat visit the Knicks at Madison Square Garden Friday night.  The last few seasons have been a love fest for Lebron in an effort to lure him to the Big Apple to revive the team that has not seen any success since their trip to the NBA Finals in 1999.  Things have changed.  Lebron chose to take his talents elsewhere, and the Knicks have quickly become one of the leagues surprises at 16-10 this year led by Amare Stoudemire, who is currently riding a streak of 9 consecutive games scoring 30+.

Instead of the laud and cheer Lebron has become accustomed to receiving in the Garden, tonight will be quite different.  For the last few years it was no secret that the Knicks were clearing cap space in order to make Lebron the face of New York.  Fans were convinced he would be suiting up in the blue and orange for years to come, only to be spurned.  The atmosphere will be euphoric.  Boos and perhaps a few scattered cheers will fill the air in anticipation of a great regular season game.  Courtside seats are selling for over $50,000…each.

The Knicks were riding an 8-game win streak until Boston ended it Wednesday night in a thriller that came down to the final seconds.  Miami is currently enjoying a 10-game unbeaten streak where they are beginning to look like the championship caliber team Pat Riley envisioned when putting the pieces together.

Miami comes into tonight’s game ranked #1 in the NBA in points allowed (91.1) while the Knicks are #2 (108.8) in scoring.  Whoever imposes their will on the other will most likely come out victorious.  The Knicks must rely on their potent pick-and-roll combination between Stoudemire and Raymond Felton, who is enjoying a career year under Mike D’Antoni, averaging 19 points and 9 assists per contest.  However, Miami will rely heavily on their trio of All-stars (James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh) to provide the bulk of the scoring and excitement in the open court.

This game will be hard pressed to top the exhilarating atmosphere of the game between Boston and N.Y. on Wednesday night, but it will at the very least come close.  This isn’t the rivalry from the 90’s where a fight was commonplace, but don’t be surprised if the physicality is upped a notch.

Don’t miss any of the action! For tickets to games or travel packages to see your favorite team, be sure to visit Premiere Global Sports. Click here for more information.

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NFL Divisional Showdown: Week 13

Divisional games late in the NFL season provide for an exciting experience for any fan because of the intensity brought to the field by each team.  This season especially, where no team has run away with the division title as of yet, dreams of a deep postseason run resonates in the minds of many.  Week 13 offers an array of match ups that will have your eyes fixated on the television screen from 1 p.m. kickoff through Sunday & Monday Night Football.

The Jacksonville Jaguars (6-5), fresh off a collapse in New York to fall into a tie for the divisional lead with Indianapolis, travel to Tennessee to take on the Titans (5-6), losers of four in a row.  However, the Titans could be getting veteran quarterback Kerry Collins back under center to replace the ineffective rookie Rusty Smith, while the receiving corps (Randy Moss, Kenny Britt, Nate Washington) is expected to be healthy and effective as well.  The Jaguars have never held a share or sole possession of first place in the AFC South this late into the season, and believe strongly they can avenge for an embarrassing loss (30-3) at home to the Titans earlier this season on Monday Night Football.

San Diego (6-5) hosts Oakland (5-6) in an effort to create some breathing room between the two teams as the Chargers attempt to catch streaking Kansas City atop the AFC West.  Currently riding a 4-game win streak, S.D. is playing their best football of the season behind Philip Rivers stellar quarterback play and Mike Tolbert carrying the load in the backfield with Ryan Matthews hurt the last few weeks.  The Raiders, after a surprising OT win over Kansas City in week 9 have quietly faded away and they desperately need a victory Sunday to remain relevant in the division.  Darren McFadden, who has not been able to regain his early season form where he dictated the pace of the game, must establish a run game in order for the Raiders to have a chance.

With the Eagles victory last night, the N.Y. Giants (7-4) now feel the pressure to keep pace in an effort to win the division crown against long time rival Washington Redskins (5-6).  This is a must win situation for both teams who are banged up and without key starters for Sunday’s match up.  Eli Manning will have to make do with a scrub receiving unit as Hakeem Nicks is out and Steve Smith is a long shot to suit up.  Donovan McNabb must develop into the leader Washington expected him to be when they traded for him and signed him to a lengthy extension if they have a chance to overcome an impressive Giants defense, especially with a depleted backfield.

While the Falcons (9-2) have been the most impressive team in the NFL this season, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (7-4) have been a pleasant surprise with a very young squad aiming to make a splash in a tight division race.  However, the Bucs have yet to defeat a team this season playing +.500 ball, while the Falcons have impressive wins over New Orleans, Baltimore and Green Bay.  Tampa needs a victory this weekend to prove they belong and to have any shot at the playoffs.  Matt Ryan has made his case for MVP thus far while surprising running back LaGarrette Blount has been a nice addition to a mediocre Bucs running game.

Sunday Night Football will feature two of the leagues most physical teams who happen to share the division lead entering the much anticipated match up.  The Pittsburgh Steelers (8-3) travel to Baltimore (8-3) after a shaky OT victory against lowly Buffalo last weekend aiming to avoid a season sweep.  The Ravens will attempt to defeat the Steelers twice in the regular season for the first time since 2006 in order to secure a two game lead in the division heading into the season’s final stretch.  The Steelers are denying rumors that Ben Roethlisberger’s foot is broken, and for their sake they better be correct.  The Steelers are 5-0 against the Ravens in game started by Roethlisberger, while they are winless without their quarterback. The physical nature of this game is a must-see as both defenses are hard-hitting, undeterred by the prospect of facing a fine.

Monday Night Football boasts the game of the week as the AFC East’s top teams square off in Foxborough for what is primed to be a game to remember.  The New York Jets (9-2), having defeated the New England Patriots (9-2) earlier this season, have a slight edge in the division entering this epic showdown.  Tom Brady has his offense playing their best at the opportune time as they face a swarming Jets defense hungry to prove they can lead this team to the Promised Land.  Rex Ryan has repeatedly said his team is built for the Super Bowl and this week they will have a chance to prove it.  This game will likely hinge on Mark Sanchez’s ability to pick apart an average Pats secondary as he did in their Week 2 victory at the Meadowlands.

Fellas, your wife will have to wait for a trip to Bed Bath and Beyond as these games will provide the adhesive so you won’t have to leave your couch.

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NFL Update

With six weeks left in the NFL season, the match-ups are starting to heat up. Three teams hold the league’s best record at 8-2. In the AFC, the New York Jets and New England Patriots are tied for that position and in the NFC; the Atlanta Falcons are alone at the top, for now.

There are seven teams that are a game behind at 7-3. Those teams are the Baltimore Ravens, Pittsburgh Steelers, Philadelphia Eagles, Chicago Bears, New Orleans Saints, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and the Green Bay Packers.

The New York Jets are coming off another thrilling comeback win 30-27 against the Houston Texans. Mark Sanchez connected with Santonio Holmes in the back left corner of the end zone with 10 seconds left to play to lift the Jets to 8-2. This win marked the fourth consecutive week the Jets have staged a come back to win in the final moments of the game. Sanchez is continuing to have a breakout season and Jets management looks brilliant in trading for Holmes for only a 5th round pick. The Jets look to continue their winning ways this Thursday on Thanksgiving night against the Cincinnati Bengals in the New Meadowlands Stadium.

The New England Patriots are coming off another great dual with the Indianapolis Colts winning 31-28. The Patriots’ James Sanders intercepted Peyton Manning at the New England 6 yard line with 31 seconds remaining to clinch the win. Tom Brady was brilliant for the second straight week, coming off a 350-yard, three-touchdown performance against Pittsburgh. Brady had only six incompletions in 25 passes and threw for two TDs as the Patriots built a 17-point lead and held on. The win kept the Patriots tied with the Jets atop the AFC East; they meet in two weeks. The Patriots next game is Thursday on Thanksgiving against the Lions in Detroit.

In the NFC, the Philadelphia Eagles grabbed hold of the NFC East with a 27-17 win against the New York Giants. Michael Vick played great again as he continues his comeback as an elite quarterback in the NFL. The Chicago Bears improved to 7-3 as their intimidating defense shut out the Miami Dolphins 16-0. The Green Bay Packers stayed tied with the Bears for the lead in the NFC North by dominating the Minnesota Vikings 31-3. The Vikings then fired Coach Brad Childress by starting off 3-7 and making decisions about Randy Moss without referring to ownership.

The NFC South seems to have the most competition in the League with the Falcons at 8-2 and the Saints and Bucs sitting a game behind at 7-3. The Falcons had a convincing win against the St. Louis Rams as Matt Ryan and Roddy White look to be the best connection in the NFL. The defending Super Bowl Champion Saints are starting to get on a roll as they now have a three game winning streak and face the Dallas Cowboys on Thanksgiving. The Bucs, arguably the league’s most surprising team, won convincingly 21-0 against the San Francisco 49er’s. They have a tough upcoming schedule against teams Baltimore, Atlanta, and Washington. This exciting division race looks to be coming down to the last week.

With six week’s left in the season anything can happen, especially in the NFL. Playoffs are approaching and excitement is in the air. Is your team looking like a contender or pretender?

Don’t miss any of the action! For tickets to games or travel packages to see your favorite team, be sure to visit Premiere Global Sports. Click here for more information.

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Manchester United Update

From 2006 through 2009, Manchester United had fixed themselves a position atop the English Premier League standings, proving their dominance year after year.  Last season, Chelsea unseated the champions and stole possession of the Premier League crown.  It is no surprise to see Chelsea on top the standings once again, however, United sits just four points behind the lead with a match scheduled for Saturday at Aston Villa.  A win at Villa may not be too difficult to come by, having not lost since opening day of the 1995-’96 season.

Villa’s manager, Gerard Houllier realizes the circumstances of the upcoming match: “Villa have not won against United (at home) for a long time. I would say that at some stage it has to stop.  We must make sure we don’t give them too much respect.  They are so good, we must not watch them play.”

On the opposite side, Manchester has six draws on the season and two in their last five games.  In order to gain momentum and have an opportunity to challenge Chelsea, they must begin to grind out victories.  Darren Fletcher, widely acknowledged as one of the top midfielders in the game, has told his Manchester United team-mates it is time to end the succession of draws that has halted their progress this term.

Much has been made about the 25-game unbeaten streak dating back to last season’s loss in the title game to Chelsea; however, the players will not look at that as an impressive feat.  Fletcher added, “People are talking about us not losing but we have drawn too many, especially away from home.”

United must keep pace with Chelsea in an effort to make their December 19th home match-up with The Blues a pivotal game.  The Red Devils must take one game at a time; however, they realize the type of pressure they are under to win because another draw will keep them from putting the pressure on Chelsea to win as well.

Fletcher added, “Overall, you would be better winning two games out of three and losing the other one rather than winning one and drawing two.”  And he’s quite correct.

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Hottest NBA Ticket of 2010

As an avid NBA fan and frequent attendee of games during the season, I’ve been wondering to myself which team has the most draw in the NBA in 2010-‘11.  Most would quickly respond by suggesting the Miami Heat, hands down.  Lebron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh all on one team attracts even the weak fans as well as those willing to pay the extra fee to catch a glimpse of the super squad.  However, all the hype over this team has overshadowed the defending champion Los Angeles Lakers, who quietly retained their prized players and added crucial pieces (see: Steve Blake, Matt Barnes, Theo Ratliff) to fortify and prepare the team for another deep run at a potential 3-peat.  Oh, yeah and they aslo have some dude named Kobe Bryant along with all-stars’ Pau Gasol, Lamar Odom and Ron Artest.

These two teams are set to meet on Christmas day which is primed to receive the highest ratings of an NBA game on Christmas in history because of the star power presence.  However, prior to that meeting, which team would you rather see square off live against your home team?

Seeing as today’s common NBA fan would rather be subject to a game comprised of high-flying dunks, buzzer beaters, dominating blocks, etc., it seems that on the surface the Heat would be the most popular ticket.  Lebron is a two time MVP known to electrify crowds with his ability to glide to the rim, absorb contact and throw down a monstrous dunk.  Dwyane Wade has a championship ring and Finals MVP on his resume, and has been notorious for his incredible leaping ability and air-time at the rim.  Watching these two stars in the open court is a sight unmatched by any other combo in the league.

The Lakers, however, employ Kobe Bryant, who repeatedly defies the odds with his turnaround-fall away-jaw-dropping jumpers from the baseline, which cause any human being in attendance to salivate.  High flyer Shannon Brown electrifies the crowd when he enters the game because of his knack for the shocking, gravity-defying slam dunks on the break or through traffic.  Sometimes overlooked is the versatile lefty Lamar Odom, who could quite possibly carry the most diverse tool-set in the league.  At 6’10’’, Odom can shoot, penetrate, defend, rebound and pass efficiently, likening him skill wise, to the greatest players in the game.

It almost seems unfair to choose only one team.  You know your team will give either the Heat or Lakers everything in the tank, because the chance at a victory could define a team’s season.  The Lakers are no longer just Kobe and sidekicks as the Heat are no longer Wade and the rejects.  This may have to end in a tie for the most attractive ticket.  I know a tie is like kissing your sister, but what other choice do you have?! These are two of the most impressive teams in NBA history; either way you will witness greatness.  To get the best of both worlds, make sure to save up for the hottest ticket of the season when these two square off on Christmas Day 2010.

For more information or travel packages to see your favorite team, be sure to visit Premiere Global Sports. Click here for more information.

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World Series Champions

The San Francisco Giants have won the World Series! San Francisco has been waiting 54 years for this. This victory was long overdue. Willie Mays led the Giants to their previous crown in 1954, four years before they moved to San Francisco. After that, they never quite got it done despite the likes of baseball giants Barry Bonds, Juan Marichal and Willie McCovey.

The Giants came close in 2002 when they lost in seven games to the then Anaheim Angels. Bonds was a huge part of that team’s success hitting four World Series home runs. The Giants took this series from the Texas Rangers in five games and Edgar Renteria was named World Series MVP.

Game 5 in Texas was a match up of arguably this year’s two best pitchers- Tim Lincecum and Cliff Lee. Lincecum out-dueled Cliff Lee for the second time in a week giving up three hits over eight innings and striking out 10. Lee was effective as well giving up three runs on six hits over seven innings but, made one big mistake in the top of the seventh to Edgar Renteria. With runners on second and third and two outs Renteria jumped on a 2-0 cutter that didn’t cut. Renteria sent a drive that kept sailing and landed over the left-center field wall as Cody Ross jumped across home plate to give the Giants a 3-0 lead.

Renteria reprised his role of postseason star. His 11th-inning single ended Game 7 of the 1997 World Series and lifted Florida over Cleveland. Renteria went 7 for 17 (.412) with a Series-leading six RBIs prompting him to be named World Series MVP. Giants closer Brain Wilson came on and pitched a perfect ninth to seal the Championship for San Francisco.

This year of baseball was characterized as “the year of the pitcher” and that continued throughout the whole postseason. This World Series was dominated by the Giants pitching. The Giants reinforced baseball’s oldest cliché- Great pitching shuts down great hitting. The Texas Rangers hit just .190 in the five games and were outscored 29-12, while their MVP hopeful Josh Hamilton went 2 for 20 with one RBI.  Lincecum won both starts he made in the World Series while posting a 2.43 ERA throughout the playoffs. Matt Cain was sensational this postseason going 2-0 with a 0.00 ERA. This year was Cain’s coming out party and he showed baseball why the Giants are a dangerous team. The Giants also got a huge game in game 4 from their 21 year old starting pitcher Madison Bumgarner. Bumgarner went eight innings giving up only three hits and zero runs. San Francisco’s bullpen was fantastic as well, starting with closer Brian Wilson as he posted a 0.00 ERA along with six saves this postseason.

This youth movement of pitching by Giants management is the reason the title is in San Francisco and as we see again, great pitching and defense wins you championships. The parade will be Wednesday November 3rd, hope you enjoy this one San Francisco. Congratulations on winning the World Series!

For more information or travel packages to see your favorite team, be sure to visit Premiere Global Sports. Click here for more information.

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A Must See: Pennant Clincher in Enemy Territory

Talk about an event you must see live. Witnessing your team take the pennant in the enemy’s house is as good as it gets. As a hardcore San Francisco Giants fan currently attending Rutgers University, it’s tough to follow the action, especially when everyone in school has lost interest (due to the Yankees and Phillies being eliminated). However, when the Giants came to Philadelphia for Game 6 of the NLCS just one win shy of their first world series berth since 2002, there was no passing up the opportunity to watch them live.

Walking through Philly’s red sea without God’s protection was not the safest idea I have ever had, but this was an opportunity of a lifetime . As I quickly squeezed through the thankfully sober to find my seats in enemy territory, there were maybe three other Giants fans in the entire stadium joining me in an attempt to will our team to victory in an unfriendly environment.

Rowdy, young and intoxicated were the Philly couple sitting behind my friend Simon and me. From the very first inning, my ear drum had formed its own ringtone due to the constant heckling directly aimed at our ears from our friendly Philly fans in the unsympathetic Citizens Bank Ballpark. Prior to the game, security had introduced themselves and notified me of the hostile environment I had willingly purchased tickets to attend and said “If you have any issues, don’t hesitate to notify any of us”, which was very much appreciated yet also frightening…

…Frightening because I had decided to don the Giants jersey, jacket and hat in a section where only Simon and I were rooting for the San Francisco misfits. It seemed, from our vantage point; as if we were the only two brave enough to enter into rival terrain.

The Phillies quickly grabbed the lead, going up 2-0 after the first inning, leaving Simon and I dead silent, slouched, hoping and praying for the Giants’ bats to find some life. Through two innings, Jonathan Sanchez unraveled, exchanging words with Chase Utley, causing a benches clearing confrontation in the infield, while us lonely Giants fans in the Bud Light Bleachers in center field were left to fen for ourselves. Towels twirling and fans cheering while I kept reminding myself of the Giants M.O.; that is, torture. It’s not always pretty, but the Giants had already pulled out five one-run wins in the postseason and I had reason to believe this could be the sixth.

The bullpen took over and began what was to be a stellar combined 7-inning performance; silencing the ‘dependable’ Philly bats, passionate fans and the jolly green Philly Phanatic himself after what looked to be a long night for the Giant’s staff. The Giants managed to mercifully scrape across 2 runs in the third, tying the game at 2, against Phillies ace Roy Oswalt, who pitched a 3-hit complete game shutout in Game 2 of this series. Finally something to cheer for…

The game quickly came to a stalemate. While there were countless opportunities for both teams to take the lead with runners in scoring position, the pitching for both sides was almost flawless in high pressure situations; that is until the 8th inning. Ryan Madson, who had been perfect in the postseason, served up a fat pitch to the struggling veteran Juan Uribe, and he took advantage, blasting a 2-out solo shot to the right field bleachers, silencing the crowd – sans Simon and I, celebrating to the fullest extent as our favorite unruly couple could only look on in disbelief as their beloved Phillies were headed for defeat.

Bottom of the 9th Inning

Brian Wilson and his famous fearsome beard was due to face the heart of the Philly lineup with a one-run lead to protect. He led the MLB in saves during the regular season, he had already amassed two saves and a win in the series, but this was for the pennant. With runners on first and second, two out and Ryan Howard at the plate with a 3-2 count, the nerves within me surfaced. Sweaty palms, brow damp with anxiety; this was it. Howard had yet to produce an RBI all series, but that didn’t help calm the mental strain this game was causing me. And then it came:

A 90-mph slider at the knees. Called strike three, series over, Giants win the pennant for the first time since 2002; this time without the likes of Barry Bonds. Exhilarating. My heart pumped an emotional high through my veins that carried from the ballpark throughout the hour-long drive back to New Brunswick, NJ, and still carries to this day as the Giants currently hold a 2-0 series lead in the World Series against the Texas Rangers.

The band of misfits, rejects, or whatever you want to call them took the heavily favored Phillies down in their own house and I was there to take it all in. It was worth every penny to see the sadness in the eye of every single Philly fan in the building. This game was by far the best sporting event I have ever witnessed live in my short twenty-two years of life.

Note: Before the game was sealed, Simon decided to begin the chant “Na-na-na-na…hey-hey-hey, goodbye”, much to the chagrin of our friends seated behind us, causing a heated exchange turned headlock, quickly broken up by security.

For tickets to these games or travel packages to see your favorite team, be sure to visit Premier Global Sports. Click here for more information.

-Aron Jacobowitz

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