Earlier this year I went out to America for a few weeks with work. It was my first time over there for a prolonged period (other than holidays) so I tried to make the most of my downtime. Before we even went out we pencilled in the matches we could get to watch around New Jersey, but obviously we were at the mercy of scheduling… Nonetheless, I managed to get along to two American sport matches at two fantastic venues!
New Jersey Devils
On our first full weekend in the US we went out into New York for the day. The plan was to have a chill one in the city, then may our way back to Morristown via New Jersey to catch a bit of ice hockey. It was a Sunday, so New York was accepting of a slow pace. We explored the city then caught the train back out to Hoboken where the car was parked. From here we headed to the Prudential Center for my first taste of ice hockey.
The franchise was first founded in 1974 as the Kansas City Scouts. In 1976 they moved and became the Colorado Rockies before finding their current home in Newark, New Jersey in 1982. Since then they’ve been a regular name in the NHL (National Hockey League). They’ve also won the league’s major trophy, the Stanley Cup, five times. With their main colour being red and as the first team I’ve been to see live, they’re my NHL team!
The match we went to see was the Devils against the Winnipeg Jets, with the Devils running out 4-2 winners. It was an exciting experience; the pre-match, intervals during play and music/crowd engagement was nothing like I’ve ever experienced at a Bristol City match back home!
Prudential Center
As with many arenas across the world, the Prudential Center is a multi-use facility. Obviously its most important use is as the home of the New Jersey Devils! After a slight faff getting tickets, we made our way in through the concourse and up several flights of escalators to the actual arena. It was a strange stadium entrance, but when we were in it was (again) so different to UK sports venues! Everything was just so much bigger, there were countless merchandise stands and pretty much a whole restaurant. We bought some dinner (chicken strips, chips and a Fanta) and made our way to our seats.
Behind our seats was a little ‘family area’ which had some tables and games for kids to stay entertained. Due to the fact nobody else was in the area, we took full advantage for a bit of table tennis before the game. It was quite nice to be able to relax before the teams came out and something I never thought I’d be doing at a sporting venue! The views from our seats were pretty good, especially considering we bought them very last minute! Altogether, it was a great experience and a great venue to enjoy my first exposure to some of America’s finest ice hockey.
New York Knicks
Our second game was, again, planned for after a day in New York. This time more of us went along, as we hadn’t been out the night before! We had a lovely lunch at a steakhouse in the city and, as our tickets had been bought a week in advance, slow-time made our way towards Madison Square Garden.
Another sport to experience live, basketball is something I’ve never really got into. The NBA operates, similarly to most American sports, in a league format, followed by post-season playoffs; the winners of which receive the Larry O’Brien Championship Trophy. Which team am I now following? That’s right, the first team I’ve seen live, it’s the New York Knickerbockers (Knicks).
The team were formed back in 1946, as one of the founding members of the Basketball Association of America. Since then, they’ve had varying levels of success. They’ve won their division eight times, the conference four times and the overall NBA championship only twice in the 1970s. Their local rivals, the Brooklyn Nets (who were originally from New Jersey) have had less success over the history of the NBA, making the Knicks the ‘more successful’ New York team. They’re nowhere on the level of LA Lakers (16 championships) but they have a massive celebrity following and play in one of the biggest venues in the world.
The match we saw was that rivalry between the Knicks and the Nets. The Knicks totally dominated the match throughout and it was great to get excited at what was going on. Similarly with the ice hockey, the entertainment before the match and during the timeouts/breaks between quarters really added to the occasion. Being there as a group of friends really made it a great evening, and the result added to that. There were plenty of great 3-point shots and, as with many things, I learned the rules as the game went along. Now we’ve brought our interest in basketball back home and we play as a group weekly!
Madison Square Garden (MSG)
Why not save the best until last?! As one of the world’s leading venues, MSG really lives up to the hype. After scanning our tickets, we went straight to the merch shop to stock up. I’ve now developed a cap tradition; getting one from each game I go to. With two now in my collection I feel like a proper American sport supporter. The store was rammed, but there were various other kiosks around the stadium.
As we headed up to the concourse, we grabbed some food. In typical American style, there were plenty of places for pizza, chicken and pretzels. A winning combination of food! We got some light beer, as well as a refillable soft drink in a Knicks branded cup. Beth now uses this cup for her drinks around the house, so was certainly worth the extra $2 from a normal drink! The arena is used for all sorts of events, as well being shared with NHL team New York Rangers. My mission on my future trips will be to try to catch the Devils against the Rangers at MSG!
As I said at the start, I was fortunate to get to spend so much time over in America. It enabled us to get to these two games and see what the hype is all about. I’ve fully bought into the appeal of American sport and I’m already looking forward to going out later this year! Obviously I’ll be adding to my cap collection! Baseball is on the radar for the summer and the NFL season starts in September…