A Year of Games 2011

One of my favorite parts of the year is looking back at all the memories. Here is my 2011 list of major professional and NCAA events that I attended throughout the year. I went to a total of nine different venues in four different states. Four of those venues I visited for the first time in my life. I saw teams from 11 different states. I experienced my first college bowl game and my first MLS game. The teams I supported finished with a record of 12-6 (.667) this season, slightly down from last years 20-4 mark.

I look forward to 2012. I became a half season Jazz ticket owner and have tentative plans to visit the east coast and the likes of Fenway Park and Yankee Stadium. As always, thank you friends and family, it was an interesting year and I am happy to have you all to go to these games with.

Look for my list of the Biggest 2011 Sports Moments next week.

Aggie Men’s Basketball

(all games attended in D.G. Smith Spectrum, Logan, UT unless otherwise noted)
Record in Games I Attended: 10-0

01/20/11 vs. Louisiana Tech W, 74-57
01/22/11 vs. New Mexico State W, 59-49
02/02/11 vs. Nevada W, 67-45
02/05/11 vs. Boise State W, 77-49
02/12/11 vs. Fresno State W, 71-55
02/26/11 vs. Idaho W, 84-68
03/11/11 vs. San Jose State W, 58-54 WAC Tournament, Orleans Arena, Las Vegas, NV
03/12/11 vs. Boise State W, 77-69 WAC Championship, Orleans Arena, Las Vegas, NV
11/11/11 vs. BYU W, 69-62
11/26/11 at Idaho State W, 75-62 Holt Arena, Pocatello, ID

Aggie Football

(all games attended at Romney Stadium, Logan, UT)
Record in Games I Attended: 1-3

09/24/11 vs. Colorado State L, 35-34 (2OT)
09/30/11 at BYU L, 27-24 Lavell Edwards Stadium, Provo, UT
11/12/11 vs. San Jose State W, 34-33
12/17/11 vs. Ohio L, 24-23 Famous Idaho Potato Bowl, Bronco Stadium, Boise, ID

Utah Jazz

(all games attended at Energy Solutions Arena, Salt Lake City, UT)
Record in Games I Attended: 0-2

01/05/11 vs. Atlanta L 110-87
02/11/11 vs. Phoenix L 93-85

Major League Baseball

Record in Games I Attended: 0-1

08/30/11 Seattle Mariners vs. Los Angeles Angels L 6-13 @ Safeco Field, Seattle, WA

Other Events

Record in Games I Attended: 1-0

10/29/11 Real Salt Lake vs. Seattle Sounders 3-0 1st Round MLS Playoffs

November in Review- The Good, The Bad, The Ugly

The Good-

Aggie football. A four game win streak and the first bowl bid in 14 years! Robert Turbin is a beast among men out there. Coach Anderson did a great job at rallying the troops after a tough start to the season.

The NBA Lockout is over! After 147 days of negotiations, there will be basketball this year. I didn't think I'd miss the NBA that much but I really have. Obviously the players were starting to miss there paychecks too.

Denver Broncos. Haters going to hate, but week after week, Tim Tebow keeps winning.

The Bad-

Aggie Basketball. It really saddens me to say this, but the Aggies just don't have it together right now. For as long as I have been around Aggie basketball, well that's only about six years, but in that time Utah State has had a system and when players leave, new players fill those spots in that system. Well this year the talent level is different, can't say if its better or worse just different. Up to this point the Ag's haven't figured out what works yet. Hopefully they will get it figured out by the time WAC play rolls around.

The Ugly-

USU apologizing to BYU after the basketball game. This is college basketball, not Jr. Jazz. I am sorry if people were offended, but I was at the game and it was no worse than the other USU/BYU games I have attended before. Nobody was beaten up, nobody left in tears. Athletes like coming to hostile environments and trying to silence the crowd. It makes it exciting. So administrators, let the Spectrum remain a spirited place and if you have a problem with a sign or a students language, take care of it at that moment, have them removed from the game, whatever. Just don't go apologizing later.

USU Student Protest. If there was a "Really, Really Ugly" category this would be in it. Fortunately I wasn't there but last night when the students were quite for the first three minutes of the basketball game for whatever reasons was ridiculous. We are athletic supports, support the athletes and your school. If there is a problem to be resolved, take care of it so that it doesn't effect your team. A young basketball team, as I mentioned before, needs all the help it can get. Give the positive energy, be the 6th man and protest at another time. Maybe sit in your seats after the game when they try to turn out the lights or whatever. If your going to take some credit for wins, ya gotta take some credit for losses.