Whatcha Gonna Do?

I first got into wrestling back in the good old days, when my main man the Junkyard Dog was thumping anybody in his path and the Hulkster was asking a burning question that forced me to contemplate my intestinal fortitude, and the path one takes when faced with adversity.

Since then, I've gone from JYD to DDP, watched Hulk go Hollywood, and run with the Wolfpack.  In recent years, I've lost touch with wrestling, but I was definitely excited by our announcement that MCA Park would play host to Total Nonstop Action (TNA) Wrestling on July 2nd.

Clearly, I'm not the only one.  Tickets went on sale this morning, and the phones and interwebs have been blazing.  The July 2nd TNA show is going to be one of the biggest nights of the summer -- a megastar wrestling show followed by fireworks on the Coney Island seashore!

So, really, there's only one question you should be asking yourself.  One question in the debate that is raging inside your mind.  One question whose answer will tip the scales  in favor of an unforgettable summer experience, or against it:

Whatcha gonna do, brother?  Whatcha gonna do when TNA comes to MCU and runs wild on you this July 2?

-- Dave

P.S.  "Get tickets" was the correct answer to that last question.  Do so here.

Head Over Heels For Ike

Ike Davis made his pro debut with the Brooklyn Cyclones on June 26, 2008.  The highly-touted first-round pick out of ASU doubled in his first at-bat, and proceeded to notch at least one hit in his first 15 straight games.  Less than two years later, Davis is now starring at first base for the New York Mets.

Davis has become something of a cult hero among Mets fans (and, of course, the Cyclones fans who saw him first in Brooklyn) thanks to being a homegrown prospect with home run power and a major league dad at home (Ron was an All-Star pitcher for the Yankees).

That cult hero status has also skyrocketed because of three specific spectacular catches he's made that all have an incredibly similar stuntmanesque theme:

On August 2nd, Brooklyn will pay tribute to the former Cyclone, with an Ike Davis bobblehead giveaway!  This isn't your run-of-the-mill bobblehead, though.  This one is special.  The Cyclones' Ike Davis bobblehead depicts the catch(es) that have become the big lefthander's calling card on defense, as he flips over the railing and into the dugout!

We think you'll flip for the bobblehead, too!  Here's the sketch art we've submitted:

We'll give you more updates and mock-ups as we get them, but you can get your tickets NOW to make sure you're not shut out from this unique collector's item.  The first 2,500 fans in attendance on August 2nd will each get one, so make sure you get to the ballpark nice and early!  It's going to be one of the hottest items of the summer!

-- Dave

That's What She Said

Armed with bobbleheads and vaguely inappropriate humor, one group of workplace misfits has infiltrated pop culture for the better part of the last decade.

No...not the Cyclones.  I'm talking about The Office!

Anyone who has ever worked in an office can relate to something about the Scranton branch of Dunder Mifflin (a division of Sabre).  The high-strung accountant, the poorly-hidden games of solitaire, the malfunctioning copy machine, the boss who's just a little "off" and thinks of himself as an undiscovered stand-up comedian/improv entertainer (not us, Steve...no one here can relate to that at all).  It's so real that it's ridiculous, and so ridiculous that it's real. 

That's why, on August 4th, the Cyclones will host a Salute to The Office, and celebrate office workers and the workplace shenanigans that make being a 9-to-5er so great (and, sometimes, so awful).

We'll be playing Office Olympics games between innings, collecting beet donations throughout the game, airing your best workplace stories, challenging you to trivia contests, and offering prizes (like free tickets) to anyone named Michael Scott or anyone who shows up dressed like Dwight Schrute.

So sharpen your pocket protectors, and start practicing your paper airplanes.  It's going to be a fun-filled night like you've never had before. (That's what she said.)

Learn more about August 4th's Salute to the Office

-- Dave

The Blogosphere is Buzzing

This is why Buzz Bissinger hates Will Leitch (and all other bloggers, for that matter, including me).  

The venerable author of Friday Night Lights (great show, by the way...you really should be watching it) berated the founder of Deadspin a while back on HBO's Costas Now.  (Don't just take my word for it without doing any research...read the NY Times article.)

Among other things, Bissinger argued that "blogs are dedicated to cruelty, they’re dedicated to dishonesty, (and) they’re dedicated to speed.” He also castigated the medium's authors for “not letting the facts get in the way” of writing whatever they want.  Ol' Buzz couldn't have summed up this blog better if he tried.

This space is, has been, and always will be (unless I get fired and it gets shut down tomorrow) one big inside joke between Cyclones fans and employees.  

We didn't really hire Eric Byrnes so he could be a ringer on our softball team (although, Eric, if you're reading this, the offer's still out there...we need a centerfielder).  Steve didn't really get lost in Prospect Park or tap dance in the rain while making up words to songs from Wicked.  Gary doesn't really wear size 7X boxers.  Alexa didn't really wear an electronic dog collar.  A bunch of staff members didn't really play baseball for 24 straight hours and wind up sending half the office to the emergency room.  I don't really look like Brad Pitt's younger, in-better-shape, long-lost twin broth...OK, I'll admit that every example from that last paragraph actually was true, except for the Byrnes thing, but I'm sure there's been lots of fake stuff, too.

The point is...well, there really isn't much of a point.  And I guess that's the point!  This blog is simply fun and (hopefully) funny.  Don't take it too seriously.  And by "too seriously," I mean "even remotely seriously at all."

And above all else, don't report anything you see in this space as real news!  Except for the part about me looking like Brad Pitt.  That can be a cover story, if you'd like.

-- Dave

Ringer Alert!

BREAKING NEWS! The Cyclones have hired former MLB star Eric Byrnes as a Media Relations Assistant.  In addition to his 11-year playing career, Byrnes has a wealth of media experience, serving as a postseason analyst for FOX and ESPN. 

On a completely unrelated note, he'll share an office with me on the "dark side" of the building, and will therefore be eligible to play for Team West Wing in the upcoming softball challenge.

Steve's just happy 'cause we won't have to pay him.

Read all about our new staff member

I have a feeling he's going to fit right in:

  
-- Dave

UPDATE:  Eric Byrnes, 11-year MLB player, making $11 million dollars a year, is not actually volunteering with the Cyclones and sharing an office with me for no pay so that we can plug him in as a ringer on our office softball team.  Some people took the joke a little too literally. 

Beer Fest!

On Saturday, June 12th, MCU Park will host the first annual Craft Beer Festival!  From 4-9pm that day, you can sample some of America's finest craft beers and listen to some great local bands.  Learn more, or get your tickets here.  In the meantime, Assistant GM Kevin Mahoney checks in with his take on the event:  

Steve has been formulating a plan to host a Craft Beer Festival at the ballpark for a few years now, and after lots of time, effort, energy, and obstacles, it's finally going to happen.

Several weeks ago, Steve put Baby Alexa and me in charge of the Beer Festival planning. Actually, Alexa is really the one in charge, but she is not old enough to drink yet.  So, several tasks were given to me -- the guy who has a, shall we say, "fondness" for the beverage produced by the brewing and fermentation of starches, mainly derived from cereal grains (most commonly malted barley, although wheat, maize, and rice are also widely used), and flavored with hops. Coincidence?  I don't think so.

There is one slight problem, though.  I have a slightly insane obsession strong loyalty to one specific brand of beer that I refer to simply as The King.  I have even been known to leave an otherwise enjoyable establishment (or an expensive VIP table at an exclusive Vegas hot spot) rather than try a new brand, but for the first annual Craft Beer Festival, I'll make an exception.  Maybe I'll even find something I like better!  (OK...there's no chance of that, but I'm trying to be open-minded.)

So join me at MCU Park on June 12th, from 4-9pm, to sample over 40 phenomenal craft beers, mingle with friends in a beautiful ballpark on the Coney Island seashore, listen to live music, and have a great night.

Stop by and say hello if you see me.  I'll be the guy that looks like this anytime I try something other than Bud.

-- Kevin

Alexa's Shocking Past

I'll admit that from time to time I have a tendency to make up outright lies about embellish cetrain aspects of my colleague's lives.  But this one is actually true.  Really.  I found out today that Baby Alexa, in her younger days, really did this.  For "fun."  Really.

One of the most down-to-earth, together, responsible, intelligent people I know put an electric dog collar on her neck and went past the invisible barrier.  For fun.  Multiple times.  Really.

Unfortunately, no video has been discovered (yet), but I imagine it went something like this:

I am dumbfounded. 

I am lost for words (and that's not easy). 

I am (wait for it...) shocked!

The good news for you is that Alexa is the one in charge of fun & entertainment during the games.  So if there's a rain delay or a downturn in the action, I know what I'll be suggesting she do to get the crowd going!

-- Dave