Final Thoughts on SFO

Greetings!

As usual, I wanted to bring up some summation points about my recent trip to San Francisco and what lies ahead for this week.

To start out, I adore San Francisco. I truly feel that with Portland, San Francisco would be the only big city I could ever live in. However, to be specific, I would only live in the downtown core and not in the suburbs. The immediate area surrounding downtown reminded almost of a very large Vancouver, BC with it's easy layout and density of population. It was dirtier than Vancouver and there was it's fair share of beggars and vagrants, but overall, I really do dig San Francisco. Even with the unpredictable weather, I would like to live there, maybe, someday.

AT&T Park is a fine venue that has a lot of neat perks and quirks that really appeal to me. The location is fabulous for alternative modes of transportation and it is easy to get to as a result. The ballpark can get a little cold, but you just have to prepare for it. It is a bit expensive, though, but that is to be expected in a city that is expensive as a whole. If I do have one complaint, it would be of the annoying female announcer they have. She is way too partial to the home team and she can get down right obnoxious with her loud voice.

I am not fond of the fans that go to those games. I find Giants fans to be very snobby, uptight, and ignorant. They just think they are better than everyone else at everything, and they're wrong. They are still very supportive of Barry Bonds as evident by all the Bonds' jerseys running around the park. You get the feeling that they are naive on top of all that I said before. People like that, I feel, detract a lot from the game as a whole. They lack humility and are the catalysts for failing organizations and turn away dedicated fans, like myself.

The two games I saw were the best pitched games I have ever seen. The Giants pitching staff is incredible and they seem to thrive in pressure situations. They could get the big outs when they needed to and were effective into the late innings. This Giants team can be a very dangerous squad if they make the playoffs. I'd keep my eye out for this team the rest of this year and for the foreseeable future.

This week is going to be very emotional for me. The Ems begin their final home stand ever at Civic Stadium on Tuesday. I get very emotional when I start to think of that last game, and I don't really want to talk about it at this time. I will take lots and lots of pictures these next few days and I will post them on the Internet. In addition, I'm going to try my hand at making a video showing a tribute to the stadium. I have a small video camera that I used for high jumping that has been sitting in my drawer for a long time. I'll bring it out and try and document as best I can what the stadium means to me and to this community.

I will most certainly update this blog after the last game on Thursday. It may take some time to get my feelings straight, but I will certainly try to update as soon as I can. This whole situation cuts me very, very deep and I don't know how I will take it. Luckily, I am here with my family and I know they will support me now matter what. It is a day that I have always wished wouldn't come, but now it will.

This trip down to San Francisco was a lot of fun on many levels. I got to see some friends, hung out with my Mom and Dad, and hit up some great baseball games. It is unfortunate that the joy I felt will be so short-lived. This blog will allow me, and all of you, to remember all the good times from this summer and divert our thoughts from the impending storm on Thursday.

Talk to you all soon.

Always take on a 3-0 pitch ;)