Springfield

Thursday, August 13

    We had a wake up of 7:30 to make our way to the last Hall of Fame on the last day of our trip. It was a two hour drive from Saratoga to Springfield. We knew we arrived at the Basketball Hall of Fame when we saw a huge basketball on the side of the highway going into Springfield. You enter an elevator to go to the top of the basketball and then take th stairs down to the second and first level of the HOF. The top level of the big basketball was pictures of all of the people who have made it to the BHOF. As we walked, we saw players like Bernard King and Chris Mullin, two of my dads favorites. As we moved on we saw my grandfather's college coach, Al McGuire. We looked at Al McGuire's record as a coach and my grandfather showed me and my sister who tagged along for the last leg of the trip. He showed us how after his class graduated the record of when Al McGuire was at Belmont Abbey,the school he coached at, had a huge drop from going from two loss seasons to a below five hundred record! Then we were all talking about the story my grandfather always tells about how he broke his nose for the sixth time! He was in college and playing Jacksonville, the leading scorer in the country was on Jacksonville. My grandfather was told to shut him down. My grandfather had shut down the player for most of the game only letting him get four points. The uncle of the Jacksonville player was a Florida state trooper and came down from the crowd and punched my grandfather in the nose and broke his nose! Then both the teams and the fans got into a fight and Al McGuire had seen enough and pulled his team off the court. Belmont Abbey had to forfeit the game since they left the court but they were happy to get out of there.  The story even made Sports Illustrated! After we checked out McGuire, we moved on looking at all of the people and players and made our way to the second floor of the basketball. This floor is where you do most of the interactive things. We started by going through an area of how the game developed and was created, such as the part where it showed how the twenty four second shot clock was created. It was by a man who multiplied the average shots in a game by the total time in a game at that time and then came up with twenty four for the shot clock. The next thing we did was a free mini basketball shoot arcade game- for once something is free! Then there was a basketball simulation where you get to play against Jason Kidd. Even though Jason beat me six to nothing it was real cool. Then we moved on to a part where you had to try to palm different basketballs. I could only palm the two smallest mini basketballs. Then we headed to a rebound area where you have to jump up and grab the ball on a string. Then you could go to another area where you see what your vertical jump is. Then we moved onto an area with Kevin Durant's wingspan on it. He has a wingspan of seven feet five inches! My wingspan was not even close!  Then we went to a wall with the tallest basketball player ever to the smallest and other players in between them. The tallest is Yao Ming.  I am only up to his waist! Next we went to a broadcasting station where you can record your own broadcast on a teleprompter and watch it over again on a TV! After that I got to call the famous Christian Latener buzzer beater in the Elite Eight! afterword me and my sister sat in two comfy lounge seat chairs, like the ones you would see at football games and watched some people at the bottom level oo the basketball court. Finally, we got to the last part of the HOF, the bottom layer and  basketball court. It was a big basketball court with extra hoops on the side, but they were not just any basketball hoops, they were all of the hoops of history that were ever used in the game of basketball. It all started off with just a barrel with no bottom of the barrel, there was not even a backboard! then they added a backboard to the next one of wood. From then on it got more advanced and more advanced as the hoops went on until the modern day hoop. i got to make a shot in every hoop in a row. Then I was able to make a dunk on a small hoop and for once in my life i was able to feel at least semi tall! That was the last experience at a HOF on my trip. Walking out i was happy that i got to do this wonderful experience and have such a great time. Four HOF's in the books and we were on our way home from the trip. But to end the trip we had a very nice relaxing ferry ride from Connecticut back to LI watching the Mets beat and sweep a four game set over the Rockies to end an excellent trip. Thank you so much for reading my blog about my trip and stay tuned for a recap and conclusion on my trip tomorrow! Thanks again.  

Saratoga

Saratoga

Tuesday August 11th-Wednesday August 12th

After we went to the Baseball Hall of Fame, we went to Saratoga to meet up with my mom, grandmother, and sister. We rented a house for two nights right in town. My grandparents were in Saratoga last year and they recommended that we go to a place called Hattie's for dinner where they specialize in fried chicken. But instead I decided to get the ribs. Both the fried chicken and the ribs were delicious! I highly recommend Hatties if you are ever in Saratoga.  Wednesday the entire family went to Saratoga Race Track where we got special seating in a private area that my dad booked as a home base called the lower carousel. It was a good spot because everyone was all over the place and could come back and meet up in one central spot. We got there for the second race. It was the first time there for my sister, my mom and me. It also happened to be Irish day with special entertainment and guests! The race track is a special race track; it is one of the oldest in the USA. When you look back on the grand stands they are made out of old wood where it looks like the building is going to fall down on you, and the fans are old and barely work. They don't even help as it was real hot but they did look real cool and old school. It is also very special because they are only open six weeks a year. So every day has a lot of people and a special feel to it. After watching the races from the ground level where you can not see anything besides when they are right in front of you, I decided to go up to the grandstand by myself for the fourth race. But you needed a grandstand ticket to get up there. But I went up and the people didn't even notice! So after I got a stamp when I went down and that meant I could go up to the grandstand whenever I want. So again, it was a lot easier to sneak into pro sports events twenty years ago, but let's say it is not impossible! The fifth race I had Alex the Terror for my betting. I bet two dollars across the board, which is win, place, show. Win, place, show is when you win the win, the place, and the show if you come in first, you win the place and show if you come in second, and show if you come in third. So then you have a better chance of winning. But even though you bet a two dollar bet, you pay six dollars for the better chance of winning if your horse comes in first, second, or third. Alex the Terror came in second for me, so he placed and showed! But that was the only money my family won that day, unfortunately. That said, the race track at Saratoga was amazing and an experience that everyone can enjoy with something for everyone. Thank you for reading and stay tuned for tomorrows blog about Springfield and the Basketball Hall of Fame! Thanks again.

Cooperstown

  Today is Friday August 14th. Sorry for no posts yesterday.  Lots of driving!                                       
          
                                                        Monday, August 10
       It was a long drive from Toronto to Cooperstown, but we finally made it. We went to NYBBQ in Cooperstown. The ribs were delicious. They were kind enough to turn on the Mets game for us as we watched them rally back to beat the Rockies and maintain their lead in the NL East. 
Tuesday, August 11
Woke up early again and started for the baseball HOF as we knew it would be crowded with all of the kids there for the big baseball tournament in town for the week. It was a good day to visit Cooperstown and be a Met fan, because for once they are on top of the leader board of the NL East! There was a big board outside the HOF with the MLB standings on it and there were your NY Mets!. The Hall of Fame started with big lockers one for each team. It had the years the team won the World Series, if they did, the hall of fame players on that team, if they have any, and jerseys and pictures of good players on that team currently. Then we moved into an area with some memorabilia of the players and old pictures of the game with captions. The history of the game back to the 1800's was really interesting. Did you know,at one time, if you caught the ball on one bounce it would be an out? Did you know that Abner Doubleday,when trying to promote baseball as a sport, tried to make Cooperstown the birthplace of baseball? While the first ever baseball game was actually played in the town I was born in, Hoboken, New Jersey!
We then walked over to an area with some facts about different important players and some stories about those players. Did you know that Mel Ott came from the Bayou with only a straw suitcase and was asking people on the subway how to get to the Polo Grounds where he was going to play baseball? Eventually he turned out to be one of the best home run hitters and left handed hitters of all time! As the tour continued we entered into an area that highlighted world series wins by era. I was excited to see the late 1980s and looked for the 1986 Mets but the Mets got screwed over. They were skipped and the 1986 Mets never got one mention! That really annoyed me and my dad. Finally, we went to the plaque room. The place where they had all of the plaques of each different player inducted into the Hall of Fame. My grandfather got to take a picture with his favorite player of all time's plaque, Willie Mays, who he has loved all his life. But it broke his heart when the New York Giants baseball team moved to San Fransisco. We also spent time looking at a special area for the original class which had greats like Babe Ruth and Honus Wagner-whose statue I took a picture with in Pittsburgh!. It was a lot different than every other Hall of Fame that we went to. It was more of a history lesson than anything. It was very factual and it was more about the teams and league than players.  Thank you for reading and make sure you check in for tomorrow's blog on our day at Saratoga! Thanks again.
As I catch up with my entries, I guess I have to include that today is my birthday- August 14th.  I was born during the blackout of 2003 in Hoboken, NJ.  Today, with no blackout, I get to watch the PGA, the Mets and the NY Giants!  What a day! 

Hockey Hall of Fame

          Day Five of Trip

    August 10th continued 

    After the CN tower, we went to the Hockey Hall of Fame. The Hall of Fame started with facts about different players and the history of hockey. Did you know if you took away all of Wayne Grezkey's goals he would still have the most points ever in the NHL because of his assists! The start of the hockey HOF is like the part of the Football Hall of Fame where they had all of the facts about the players and how they changed and helped the league. After that you move on to the Montreal Canadians' locker room with all of the great players from their organization. I got to try on Patrick Roy's leg pads! They were huge since he used bigger leg pads so it would be harder to score on him. Then you move into the interactive zone, where I  simulated  being a real NHL goalie! Players like Sidney Crosby, Jonathan Toews, and Evgeni Malkin shot on me from a screen with little holes where the pucks come out of! It was an awesome experience, especially because I saved five out of the eight shots! Then I got to shoot on Carey Price the goalie for the Montreal Canadiens. That was really hard; I didn't make a goal. Then you can go and pretend to be a sports center anchor. I used a teleprompter to tell me what to say. I did the 2014 Olympic Finals game recap for Hockey of Canada against Sweden. After that I went to the area where you could call different plays from history. I got to call the last ten seconds of Miracle on Ice! It was cool of how you  could see the real call then make the call yourself. Next, we checked out an area where you walk up steps but you don't know what they will lead to  When I reached the top all I could say was "wow".  I was in the coolest trophy room with a stained glass ceiling. This room held all the trophies in glass except the Stanley Cup, which was on display. I was able to touch it and take pictures with it  and it happens again, all I can say is "wow".  The hockey HOF is like Disney World for hockey fans! I also got to take pictures with the original Stanley Cup that was put into a vault. After, we walked back down the steps into the International area. This section focused on the IIHF and the Olympics. There was a story about the 2002 Olympics in Salt Lake City and how a Canadian group was in charge of putting the ice in.  The leader of the ice group had put a Loonie under the center of the ice.  Loonie is  slang for the Canadian dollar coin. It was put in the ice for inspiration and luck for the Canadian Men's and Women's team. The looney really worked because the Canadian Women's team beat the USA Women's team 3-2 and then the Canadian Men's team won 5-3. After the Men's game, the Loonie was turned over to the captain of the Canadian team,Wayne Grezkey, who then gave it to the Hockey Hall of Fame. I was able to touch the Loonie. The Loonie story inspired and gave luck to the Canadian teams, so why not put an American dollar coin in the ice to help the USA teams win? After checking out the Loonie, we looked at the list of IIHF national teams and when they joined. Did you know that USA and Canada only joined in 1920? While the first teams to join in 1908 were Belgium, France, Great Britain, and Switzerland. All in all it was a great experience and so far the best HOF of the trip. Thanks for reading and stay tuned for my experience at the Baseball Hall of Fame in   Cooperstown! Thanks again for reading and read again tomorrow! 

Toronto

 

     

Sunday, August 9th continued...

From Hamilton to Toronto it is just a short drive, under an hour. The drive into Toronto is a pretty one where you can see the impressive skyline and Lake Ontario.  I was very much looking forward to Toronto and our stay at the Renaissance Hotel at the Rodgers Centre. Best hotel and best room ever! Our room happened to look out onto the field the Toronto Blue Jays play on from beyond the center field wall! There was no game though when we were there but the CFL team in Toronto, the Argonauts, played the night before so the work crew was changing the turf from the Argonauts to the Blue Jays, who will be playing at home on Tuesday. The town was very excited about their Blue Jays sweeping the Yankees in New York and making a run at first.  The windows of our hotel room slide open to a view of the field. My grandfather and I made a few paper airplanes and threw them out our window onto the field for the workers to see! We even wrote NYY (the Yankees abbreviation) who they are fighting with for the AL East lead on the airplanes.  We woke up the next morning and they were not where they landed. I'm guessing the field crew didn't save them.  

Sunday night  we went to dinner on King Street. King Street is like the equivalent of Arthur Avenue in New York, which means there are so many great places to go to get food. Up and down the street there are places all over to get outstanding meals and everyone is very friendly there.
       Monday, August 10 part 1. 
     We woke up at 7:30 and looked outside to see the field almost fully done for the game on Tuesday. I wished my dad a happy birthday being it is his birthday today. Then he and I took a short walk over to the CN Tower. The top of the tower was spectacular, you could see all of Toronto and even all the way to Hamilton! We were on the highest structure built in the Western Hemisphere in the last 30 plus years.  If you are afraid of heights then I recommend you do not consider the CN Tower. But if you are ok with heights, it is an awesome experience.  The elevator taking you up has glass on two sides and on the bottom so you can see out and below. All in all it was an excellent Sunday and Monday morning.  Thank you for reading. Stay tuned for the Hockey Hall of Fame later today and tomorrow morning for the Baseball Hall of Fame! Thanks again & see you tomorrow!

Day four of our trip started with a late wake up for a change- 9:30.  We ate a big breakfast and got on the road ready for the long drive to Toronto.  Just to keep things interesting, we decided to check out a Canadian Football Game in Hamilton.  The Hamilton Tiger-cats were playing the Winnipeg Blue Bombers.  The CFL is nothing like the NFL; there are different rules and bigger fields.  The Tiger-cats were destroying the Bombers at the half 31-0.  At this point we figured there was no need to stay in the scorching heat for another hour and a half and got back on the road.  Below are some facts you may not know about the CFL:
1. The end zones are twenty yards rather than ten in the NFL.
2. The receivers can get a head start on the play and can line up a few yards behind the line of scrimmage and start running before the play starts.
3. If a player lines up behind the punter on a punting play, they are eligible to play the ball before the ball touches a player on the other team.
4. The field goals are in the end zones rather than behind the end zones, as in the NFL.
5.The CFL started in the 1800's way before the NFL started.
Thanks for reading and remember to come back tomorrow for the second of four Halls of Fame- The Hockey Hall of Fame!

Yesterday we made a stop at the WGC Bridgestone because it was being played near Cleveland, in Akron.  We caught the third round of the tournament.  We started out at the fan experience where I made two out of three putts to get a towel and I did a simulation of the sixteenth hole approach shot over the water, which was fun.  Then we decided to watch my favorite golfer, Jordan Spieth.  He hit one of his drives into the fan area and I raced over to see him shoot.  He gave me a fist bump when he walked by! The shot he hit was a punch hook shot under the tree and onto the green from one hundred and twenty yards out and he didn't know what the excitement was until his playing partner, Lee Westwood, gave him the thumbs up.  His caddy was standing right in front of me and I was able to reach over and touch his bag.  Also, it was pretty cool and crazy that Spieth had to have a bodyguard with him at all times! I also got to see another American, Patrick Reed, hit a shot that was within five feet of me.  He hit it with a tree root in front of him.  He punched it out into the middle of the fairway.  Also, an up and coming American golfer, Brooks Koepka, hit one hundred and twenty yards out over a one hundred foot tree! Those three Americans could possibly bring the Ryder Cup back to the USA.  The Bridgestone was a great experience for me and for all golf lovers.  There was a lot of shade and good spots to sit, whether at the tee box or the green.  All in all, it was a great venue and a great day!

Before arriving at our destination in Cleveland, we stopped at A Christmas Story House and Museum where the movie, A Christmas Story, was filmed.  It was pretty cool and had a great gift shop.  My dad makes the whole family watch the movie every year at Christmas.  It can be a bit annoying to have to watch it every year but it's just what we do.

We arrived in Cleveland and my dad and I decided to go to the Indians game.  My grandfather decided to read the newspaper and take a nap.  My dad says it was a lot easier to get into sporting events for a full discount twenty five years ago, but let's just say it is still possible today.  Since it was our first time at the stadium, we decided to walk around and check it out.  I think I walked everywhere possible for the first six innings.  We ate a lot of food since it is better than in any other ball park in the US.  We first went to a place called Melt.  It is a local grilled cheese place in Cleveland.  I got the BBQ melt.  It had pulled pork, cole slaw, BBQ sauce and pepper jack cheese.  It was heavenly, especially with the side of  potato chips.  Then we walked around some more and got nachos from Locos Nachos.  They were as good as any you would get in Mexico! They had pulled chicken, white melted cheese, jalapeños, and salsa.  It was delicious.  At this point, we decided to find some seats.  We saw some wide open behind home plate fifteen rows up.  So we sat there and watched the seventh inning and the start of the eighth. It was extremely awesome.  The ballpark was great and an awesome experience that I would recommend to anyone- great food, great venue, great people.  The Indians may not be the best team in the league but it was a lot of fun.  Thanks for reading and come back tomorrow for my post about our first day in Toronto and attending a Canadian Football game.  Thanks, again!

Day 3 of the HOF tour got underway with an early wake up time of 6AM, again! We got on the road to Canton, Ohio for the first of the four Halls of Fame, the NFL Pro Football Hall of Fame.  It happens to be Enshrinement Night so there were big crowds and special activities and people there.  We got lucky and got a parking spot on someone's lawn for twenty bucks rather than having to go two miles down the road for the shuttle bus. We entered bright and early and headed straight to the Hall of Busts, where all of the Hall of Famers were.  One of the guides told us a story of how Lawrence Taylor wanted his earrings in the bust, but they said no.  Paul Brown and George Halas were not allowed to have their hat, so if they weren't getting their hats, LT wasn't getting his earring.  Another story I heard was how OJ Simpson had his bust stolen and then recovered on the side of the road a few hours later! After a while, went down to the History of the NFL area.  Did you know Jim Thorpe was a coach and a player for the Oorang Indians? That might end up at my fantasy football team name! After this section, we went up to the second area and looked around at some of the gear and other things you could try on.  I also got a chance to call a play that was under review- I got to go under the thing the officials go under. I felt like a real official.  After that, we went to the room with the displays of the players getting inducted this year.  My favorite college team is Notre Dame.  Former ND player, Tim Brown, was getting inducted this year and I got a picture with his 1987 Heisman Trophy. We finally made our way to the modern day era section.  They had a mini movie with a bunch of the players on microphone, which was very funny.  After, our seats rotated us to the gift shop.  We were looking in the hat section when we see Harry Carson, Hall of Famer for the Giants! My grandfather introduces himself, then my dad and then me.  We asked if we could have a picture with him, but he said he can't because he did not want too many people to recognize him and ask for photos.  So, we moved along to checkout with my shirt and went outside to see our picture we took in the beginning.  A few moments later, Mr. Carson sneaks up and says "hurry up, quick, quick." He remembered us and made it possible for us to get a picture with him.  He was such a nice man to come up to us and offer a picture; he could have walked by us and not offered a picture but he didn't.  All in all it was a spectacular experience at the Football Hall of Fame.  Stay tuned because in a short time I will have another post about a surprise stop on our way to Cleveland!

Pittsburgh Pirates Game
  Last night the Pittsburgh Pirates faced off against the Los Angeles Dodgers.  The Dodgers star pitcher, Clayton Kershaw, had 37 scoreless innings in a row.  The first pitch Kershaw threw was a home run by Gregory Palanco.  There goes the scoreless inning streak for Clayton!   Before the game, we took pictures with the statues of Roberto Clemente, Honus Wagner, and Willie "Pops" Stargell.  As the game went on there was a two out bases loaded situation with the Pirates up at bat.  So, all the Pirates fans started a chant saying "Clayton Kershaw" and Kershaw walked the batter to drive in a run and keep the bases loaded and PNC Park went crazy with fans screaming all over the place and jumping up and down because they tied the game on that run; after that run scored the "Clayton Kershaw" chant became bigger and bigger.  That night for dinner I had my first ever Pirmontti Brothers sandwich.  The Pirmontti sandwiches have meat, cole slaw and fries all on fresh cooked bread.  It could have been the best sandwich I ever had, so if you are ever in Pittsburgh be sure to get one! In between innings, we played a game called Mound Ball.  Mound Ball is played between innings where everyone your with and sometimes people around you get in on the action, too.  Everyone throws a dollar into a hat and the last guy in the row who is playing holds the hat with the money.  After the third out the player on the field who has the ball last rolls it back to the mound for the pitcher coming up next.  If the ball stays on the mound in the dirt not touching grass, the person holding the hat wins the pot.  If the ball rolls off or doesn't make the mound the person holding the hat loses and the hat is passed to the person next to him to hold for the end of the next half inning.  I won five bucks! Now, the game is tied and goes into extra innings.  In the bottom of the tenth with bases loaded Pedro Alvarez was up and the Dodgers brought in the right fielder to play as a second baseman.  Then Pedro Alvarez hit the ball into right field where there was no one to field it and the runner on third came in to score and win! After that, the entire Pirates team chased down Pedro Alvarez into the outfield to where he hit the ball and the stadium screamed for five minutes going bonkers with fireworks going off in the outfield.  It was a great fan experience with an extra inning.  PNC Park was excellent and I would highly recommend visiting it to anyone- Pirates fan or not.

Day two of the HOF trip started out with an early wake up time of 6, so we could get on the road to Pittsburgh and play golf somewhere along the way.  On our way my grandfather pulls out his huge map of our trip.  My dad and grandfather have been going at it with using the map and Waze.  They have been keeping score of how much each has helped and the score is three to two in favor of Waze.  It takes my grandfather longer to unfold the map and fold it back up than for my dad to find where we should go.  All in all, Waze has been more helpful than the maps.  For golf, we stopped and played at Donegal Highlands Golf Course in Donegal, PA.  Me, my dad, and grandfather play with a putt nassau, where you keep score of your puts.  We do this because your most important shots are your putts. Also, the majority of your shots come within 100 yards.  For my golf career, I have never broken the 100 shot barrier to try to get into the nineties.  But today I got as close as you could get scoring a 100 with 36 putts.  Tonight we will be at the Pirates vs Dodgers with a sold out crowd to see all star pitchers Gerrit Cole and Clayton Kershaw duel.  Kershaw has 37 scoreless innings in a row.  He has an ERA of 2.37 this year.  While Cole has an ERA of 2.29 and 138 strikeouts this year.  On another note, I have to give a shout out to Mr. Corpina and the Mara Family for letting me, my dad and my grandfather attend training camp.  Also, a shout out to Mr. Lloyd and his son Brendan for taking us to a Pirates game.  Tomorrow is another early rise, as we are heading for Canton and then Cleveland for the Indians game.  Good night and see you tomorrow!

  Day 1 of HOF Trip
Day one was a great day! My grandfather and I drove from Long Island to New York City to pick up my dad from work and begin this legendary trip. From there we made our way to Giants training camp to watch my favorite football team prepare for the season. As I watched, I took pictures of the three core receivers for the Giants: Odell Beckham Jr., Victor Cruz, and Rueben Randle. My dad and I talked about how they could be the best threesome of wide receivers in the NFL. But then I thought of the Cobb, Nelson, Adams trio in Green Bay. It could be argued that they are a top trio, as well.  The Giants trio is very young with Beckham only going into his second year and Randle going into his fourth. But you need to remember a good quarterback is essential to having a good receiving line.  It's hard to ignore the fact that Manning is a two time Super Bowl champion and two time Super Bowl MVP. Plus Manning just came off of his best season in his career with a QBR of 70.9 and a completion percentage of 63.1. Victor Cruz has 3,947 yards since 2011 which is fifth in the league and he is only 258 yards from the second place receiver Brandon Marshall.But in the Packers favor, they have two top ten receivers in the league in Randell Cobb and Jordy Nelson. There is also a great prospect with Davante Adams coming off his rookie year last year with 446 yards and three receiving touchdowns looking to find his way as the third string wide receiver in Green Bay. While with all of those outstanding receivers for the Packers they also have the reigning NFL MVP as their quarterback. Aaron Rodgers, the Packers quarterback, really helps out the receiving core because Rodgers AKA discount double check, had a completion percentage of 65.6, 4,381, and 38 passing touchdowns last year. Plus, there is Eddie Lacy who was a huge threat for the Packers in the run game last year. He had 1,139 rushing yards and 9 rushing touchdowns last year. So then the defenses can not go all out worries about the pass, defenses have to respect the run when playing the Packers so they can't run up and down the field on the opposing defenses which makes the receiving trio even better. To be honest, I would have to go with the Cheeseheads on this one. In the end, Giants training camp was a great experience that I would recommend to any Giants fan. I might not have gotten any autographs but I had fun watching my grandfather ask people if they wanted his autograph because he told them he was a famous rapper from the 80's!!! Good night and stay tuned for tomorrow's adventure to Pittsburgh where I plan to enjoy checking out the town and attending a Pirates vs Dodgers game. 

 Introduction

Welcome! I am Finn from Long Island and I am entering middle school.  In my free time, I play, watch and have fantasy leagues for many sports.  I am involved with sports in so many ways, I thought why not start a blog about my experiences watching, playing and analyzing sports. My first blog posts will be about my road trip to all four major sports Halls of Fame. My favorite sport to play is lacrosse.  I am a goalie and that is why I named my blog "The Brick Wall Blogger". In addition to playing sports, I am enrolled in a Sports Journalism and Broadcasting program at Hofstra University.  I have taken classes that teach interviewing, writing, commentary and radio and television broadcasting. My most recent class was Sports Blogging, which helped me prepare for this blog.  When I'm not focused on sports, I enjoy playing the double bass with my school orchestra. Thanks for reading my introduction and stay tuned for the start of my Hall of Fame Tour of all four major sport Halls of Fame. Starting Thursday I will blog every day about my experience on this trip beginning in Pittsburgh, Penn to Canton, Ohio to Cleveland, Ohio to Toronto, ON to Cooperstown, NY to Saratoga, NY to Springfield, Mass then back to home. This trip with my dad and my grandfather will be a crazy one of sports mania, but an extremely fun one! Thanks again and if you have any suggestions, comments, or want to say how you think the blog was please just leave a comment at the bottom of the blog.