
By now, some of you are probably tired of reading about Banana Ball - especially since this is the SIXTH time I’ve posted about it on this blog. If this is you, I can understand: on some level, it’s gotta be annoying hearing about me going to all of these games that you either don’t really care about because you think Banana Ball is too "avant garde" and/or have massive FOMO about because you couldn’t get tickets.

However...this one’s different: it’s the final Banana Ball post for 2026, and it’s a special one, as it’s the league's _championship game_. Before we get into the actual game, however, I do need to mention one thing:

### What could have been

I know I've already seen Banana Ball [four](2026-04-25_bananaball_ny) [other](2026-04-27_bananaball_ny2) [times](2026-06-12_bananaball_js) [this year](2026-07-26_bananaball_hfd) (plus [one time last year](2025-08-23_bananaball_bos))...but here's the thing: I had tickets to TWO other Banana Ball games this year that I ended up not going to (not counting the Friday night Jersey Shore game that I had to miss due to vacation[^1]).

First, I was intending to go to Gillette Stadium in Foxboro(ugh)[^2], MA at the end of August. In the weeks leading up to the game, I was considering not going (because if you've never been to Gillette Stadium, getting in and out is bad PLUS the stadium was charging for lots that are normally free), but eventually felt I still wanted to do it. Unfortunately, something came up in the days before the game that required my attention, so I ended up not going (and again, I was apprehensive about the trip anyway)[^3]. On a somewhat interesting note: the Hartford game I went to was used as a "test" of selling K Club tickets, and I guess it worked decently enough, because I was able to list my ticket on the marketplace (which is something I hadn't been able to do before outside of the whole Yankee Stadium thing).

Second, do you recall me going to the [PLL Championship game](2026-09-20_pllchampionship) back in September? Well, one of the BIG reasons I was able to do that was because I had to forego my original plan for that weekend: a trip to Savannah, GA.

I’ve [talked about the K Club before](bananaball_bospt2) (partially because I’m a member), but in case you weren’t aware, it’s a Savannah Bananas fan club which includes, among other things, early and (basically) guaranteed access to tickets for most Banana Ball games - keyword "most". Right before the org announced its 2026 schedule, they sent an email to K Club members that indicated that tickets for games IN Savannah were going to be limited to fans who joined the K Club back in 2022 and 2023; I joined in 2024, so I was not going to be able to buy tickets to see Banana Ball in Savannah...or so I thought.

However, after processing the sales to the two groups, I received an email that indicated that tickets were still available for Savannah games, and that I’d have a chance to get tickets to a game in Savannah. I had chosen a game in September as my date to head down - largely as I needed to get some things together in order to be able to make the trip down.

Alas...I wasn't able to get things in order in time. Yes, part of it is due to how wild certain things are nowadays (plus a lot of the things that also made me going to Foxboro untenable), but at the end of the day, a lot of it falls on me failing to do the things I kinda sorta NEEDED to do to make the trip to Savannah feasible.

With THAT note out of the way, let's talk about THIS game.

### The League of Extraordinary Bananas

While 2026 marks the debut of the Banana Ball Championship League, it's not the first time the organization has had a playoff to determine an "overall champion". I alluded to it back at Yankee Stadium, but there was a playoff between the (then) four teams last year which the Party Animals won. Of course, now that there is a league, what does every good league need? A champion!

And if you're the Banana Ball Championship League, how do you do your first "official" championship game?

By going BIG.

In August, it was announced that the championship game - known as the Banana Bowl - would be held at Nationals Park in Washington, DC. Not only that, they announced that no matter what the matchup was, ALL SIX TEAMS and their respective casts of characters (of questionable necessity) would be present. K Club members were asked if they wanted to opt in for the chance to buy tickets, and the allure of watching a championship game (plus the fact that the other four teams that aren't playing were going to be present) made me decide to go for it. It also helped that the factors that killed my trip to Savannah (transportation and lodging) were not issues for the Banana Bowl: DC is close enough from New Jersey to drive to, and my brother lives in the city, so I wouldn't have to worry about either.

### National...something

I'm not going to talk about the Washington Nationals here - they've largely been mediocre to bad since arriving in 2005 (and this somehow includes the year they won the World Series).

Their home stadium - the aplty named Nationals Park - opened in 2008 after the team spent a few years at RFK Stadium (an older stadium is scheduled to werwerwerbe demolished soon). It's in the District's Navy Yard area, and if I'm going to be honest...it's not all that unique. Much like most modern parks, it's got a full main concourse and shorter upper deck concourses which are "broken" up by the outfield, but unlike several stadiums opened in the same era, it's made of more "modern" materials (as opposed to the brick ballparks the team's [divisional](2026-05-01_nymets) [rivals](2026-06-08_phiphillies)). Swaths of the ballpark USED to have great views of the US Capitol Building, but modern construction around the stadium has obscured these views.

I should note, however, that I actually didn't explore the ballpark much during the game - I was mostly in my seat after the seating bowl opened save for a couple of times I went up to the concourse for food and...

<div id="merch" />

### The Plaza and Pregame (and MERCH)

I'm not sure exactly how common this is, but the main gate and team store for Nationals Park are in the outfield (as was the pre game plaza for this game). While the items here aren't exactly "earth shatteringly unique", it is the place where I "re-started" collecting hats in 2019 (which I had stopped because my childhood collection became too small for my head). I also recall a visit where I thought about getting some of their clearance jerseys (i.e. the jerseys for players who just left the team), but none were my size.

During my 2019 visit, I also recall finding a jersey from the 2018 All-Star Game which the Nationals hosted at one of the merchandise booths (that wasn't the main store). Unfortunately, it was NOT clearance priced, so I had to pass on it...

As for the Banana Bowl, speculation about merchandise was rampant in the weeks leading up to the game (as all six teams would be present), but a few days before the game, I got an email saying that merch would only be available for the two teams playing: The Savannah Bananas and the Texas Tailgaters - the matchup I WOULD HAVE seen had I made it to Savannah.

As mentioned earlier, the pre-game plaza for this game was in the outfield, but it also featured something I haven't seen in a while: a K Club area (on the upper concourse)! There was a small merchandise area here, and somehow, it was far and away the WORST part of the day. Not only was it super crowded (it took me nearly an hour to get through the line), but they didn't have a lot of things - namely, they did not have anything Bananas or Tailgaters specific (i.e. shirts, jerseys, and hats), which were available in other parts of the stadium. The K Club area did offer early views of the field, however, so you could see all the people who got the backstage pass on the field with the teams.

![An image of Nationals Park](/images/2026/1010-bbb.jpeg)

One note: I'd been collecting "2026 World Tour" shirts at prior games, but they didn't have either team's tour shirt here. As I skipped my only other chance to see the Tailgaters, this means that I was unable to get a "Texas Tailgaters 2026 World Tour" shirt (as well as the Firefighters, who I never saw in 2026[^4])

### The big show

![An image of the teams](/images/2026/1010-bananabowl.jpeg)

In the lead up to the Banana Bowl, the organization promised a spectacle like none they'd ever done before. Sure enough, many, MANY guests showed up to make the night special. I can't remember ALL of the things that happened, but a few highlights:

- The Bananas' mascot arriving via parachute
- Famous a capella group Pentatonix singing the anthem (with a flyover)
- John Cena somehow managing to show up to deliver the game ball
- Several musical acts doing "walkups"
- Former Washington Capitals player T.J. Oshie escorting a player

After each of the first six innings, each of the six teams debuted a song that they intend to use more next year. I'm not, but it was definitely awkward having the Tailgaters introduce their song for next year immediately after giving up a walk-off home run...

Before the final inning, there was a special "Final Inning Show" featuring all six teams, several of their musical acts, and the cast of "Dancing With the Stars" (as one of the Bananas is on the current season) - but before that, the teams were accompanied on field by...

# The Jonas Brothers.

I had heard rumors that they MIGHT be involved as JoBros fans noted their schedule was clear for today, but I doubted they'd show up until, well...they did.

### The big game

The actual game, in my opinion, was pretty good - unlike some of the Banana Ball games I've been to this year (\*coughHartford\*cough), it moved rather quickly and had a lot of "action" - though it was a bit of a pitcher's duel. One of the fan-favorite moments came when one inning featured a "Zimmerman(n)-off": former Washington Nationals pitcher Jordan Zimmermann pitching for the Tailgaters against Natinals[^5] franchise legend Ryan Zimmerman hitting for the Bananas (Jordan won). However, I think the game was won on Texas Tailgaters manager Joe Mikulik doing something seemingly unheard of in Banana Ball: actually being a strategic baseball manager (as opposed to his infamous antics from his minor league career - look up "Joe Mikulik meltdown" on YouTube for SEVERAL examples).

It's the eighth inning, and the Tailgaters are down 1-0. Due up is a batter who is 0-2, but more importantly, he's the designated "strikeout" guy: if he strikes out, the crowd gets donuts (by which I mean munchkins are thrown into the crowd and you MIGHT get some).

Instead of having him come up with the crowd vehemently against him, the Tailgaters use their Golden Batter to "switch up" the pressure - and he responds by hitting a home run. They win the inning and the all important point to tie the game without having to hope they get the equalizer point for having more trick plays (which they BARELY missed), and they go on to win the first showdown and the game.

![An image of the postgame](/images/2026/1010-champeens.jpeg)

### END

I've heard that one "thing" with Banana Ball is that once you've gone to one "show", every other game is basically the same show. In a way, the prior three venues I went to this year have kinda proven this. Of those three, each had its highlights and its lowlights (which I won't get too into); case in point: I came out of the Clowns game in Hartford liking their hosts and band...but also seeing just how UGLY things can get when the players aren't actually good at baseball (that and the Party Animals basically ducking JBJ for most of the game). Part of that was the first inning DRAGGING on for almost half an hour, while this game was basically three innings in at that point.

This game (as well as one other thing that I did on this day - more on that soon) reminded me of two of the most important things Banana Ball does:

1. Access. Ticket prices are a MASSIVE issue , but I feel ithat fans are intensely disconnected from the players they cheer for: many don't often do public appearances, and when they do, it's usually not free (or cheap). With its emphasis on low price tickets, anti-scalper measures (i.e. their resale market), and having the players be accessible to fans, Banana Ball bridges the gap between the players and the fans way better than the major leagues do. There is actually ONE other thing I did before the Banana Bowl that highlights this, but I'll get to that soon...

2. Atmosphere. At a lot of baseball games nowadays, the crowd only really gets into the game when something happens; outside of that...it's dead. Yes, a lot of the atmosphere of Banana Ball is manufactured and more often than not focused AWAY from the game itself, but being at a full, loud stadium is something special for any sport (this is also where I'm going to go against "popular" opinion and say that I kinda prefer the BIGGER venues - though that might just be due to me being in the K Club)

With all of this in mind...I'm conflicted about 2027. I will admit that I have some thoughts about seeing Banana Ball at an MLB stadium I've never been to before (as I'd be able to get seats that are normally WAY out of my price range), but with the MLB lockout looming, it does create some mixed feelings (as buying tickets kinda sorta supports the owners keeping the players locked out).

I've also never done the "VIP" experience before, and so MAYBE I might try and go for that just to see what it's like (I should note that I had the opportunity to get VIP tickets to the game I saw in Lakewood but ended up not).

---

### ON DECK

When in Rome (or in this case the District of Columbia)...

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[^1]: The story is in my post about the game I did go to, but long story short: I bought tickets for the Friday game in Lakewood, but then found out after paying that we would be on vacation in the Carolinas the week after. In order to facilitate accommodating a [Myrtle Beach Pelicans](2026-06-15_mbpelicans) game into this trip (as there was only ONE DAY during the week that worked), we would have to leave that Friday, so I wasn't able to make it to the game.

[^2]: The town is OFFICIALLY spelled "Foxborough", but a lot of people - INCLUDING the USPS - use "Foxboro", so I’m not really sure how to spell the town’s name...

[^3]: Had I gone, I would've missed the pregame/plaza stuff because I was planning on using the train, and it wasn't scheduled to arrive until 6:00 PM - one hour before the actual "game" started.

[^4]: I had "contingency" plans to see the Firefighters in [Allentown](2025-08-08_jsblueclaws) so I could get their shirt, but never went through with them.

[^5]: I feel like I should apologize for making referencing one of the most infamous jersey snafus I can think of, but come on - it's one thing when a career minor league plays for the "ANGEES", but when your TOP TWO players both have the SAME misspelling...

This one's for all the scented marbles

Banana Bowl 2026: Savannah Bananas vs. Texas Tailgaters @ Nationals Park (Washington, DC)


### _[2026: New Venue #29](2026newvenuelist)_

I've talked about quite a number of NCAA-sanctioned college sports on this blog, but today, we're discussing college sports OUTSIDE the NCAA (as well as the super unknown NAIA, which is another national governing body for college sports here in the States).

Club sports are, in essence, intercollegiate sporting events that are not quite as "professional" as NCAA sports (which, as I understand it, is how all college sports are in some countries). In fact, it's not uncommon to see a school have an NCAA (or NAIA) sanctioned team AND a club team, as the club sport is structured VERY differently (for example, the players often have to pay various fees to participate, and most things are student run).

In hockey's case, there are over 400 club hockey teams across the United States; many schools MUCH better known for other sports have club hockey (like some of the SEC schools), and even a few schools which have D-I NCAA hockey programs (such as [Sacred Heart](2025-12-31_sacredhearthockey_mens)) have club teams as well. Much like the "regular" NCAA, club hockey is divided into several divisions, but interestingly, some schools have multiple club hockey teams in different divisions; for example, it seems that The College of New Jersey - i.e. the hosts of this game (TCNJ being just outside of Trenton) - have a Division 1 and a Division 3 team who just dropped down from Division 2 (this game featured the Division 1 team).

I won't go too deep into the history of TCNJ or their opponent (William Paterson University - a school about 20 miles from New York), but both are public schools and I know several people who went to each one (though I will mention that the current "The College of New Jersey" has only been called that since 1996[^1]). There's also not a TON of information about either program's history, but it should be noted that apparently TCNJ's team was founded in 1977 - don't believe me? Here's proof:

![A photo of a hockey puck posed along the boards with a faceoff being taken in the background](/images/2026/1002-gamepuck.jpeg)

<figcaption>This puck flew over the protective nets and into the upper seats of the arena. For those who have never been to a hockey game, those nets are fairly tall, so getting somewhere like that is RARE.</figcaption>

I don't know that much about the club hockey scene, so I can't tell you if this game's result - a 5-3 "Willy P" win - is "expected" or not (though I did find the game's broadcast on YouTube later on and they said that Willy P had won all but one prior matchup). All I will say is that in case you're wondering more about WHERE this game took place and WHY I chose to go to this game...I'm not quite ready to talk about that just yet. What I will say for now, however, that neither team had merchandise available for sale - though I wasn't here for college hockey merch anyway...

---

[^1]: The "original" College of New Jersey changed its name 100 years prior; I won't say what it is now, but it has been on this blog SEVERAL times - and I alluded to the current one when I first visited the "old" one.


A look at college sports outside of the NCAA

Club Hockey: William Paterson University vs. The College of New Jersey @ CURE Insurance Arena (Trenton, NJ)


_About a year ago, I posted a bunch of old things from hockey games I went to back in 2023. However, there are two arenas I visited back then that I actually didn’t write about - mostly as I wasn’t sure what to say._

_I don’t know if/when I’ll be getting back to these arenas, so I figured I’d do my best to write about them now, and since today is the date of the Providence Bruins home opener, I figured I’d publish it today._ 

The Providence Reds were one of the AHL’s founding teams, but left in 1977 (and are now, in essence, the Hartford Wolf Pack). Fifteen years after the departure of the Reds, the mayor of Providence convinced the ownership of the Maine Mariners to move down, and the Providence Bruins (or “P-Bruins” as I will mostly refer to them from here on out) made their debut in 1992 (as the AHL affiliate of the NHL Bruins)[^1]. Outside of the team winning the Calder Cup (the AHL’s league championship) in 1999, there’s not much to say about them (though apparently they once hired the youngest organist in sports history)[^2]. One last thing: in all my years following the NHL, I can recall a bunch of fairly high Bruins draft picks that ended up getting "stuck" in Providence (though as I've said before, this also goes for a LOT of AHL players).

The building the P-Bruins call home was opened in 1972 as the Providence Civic Center to host Providence College men's basketball, as the team had outgrown their on-campus arena (which now hosts the women’s team). The Reds did spend a few seasons here before leaving town, and between their departure and arrival of the P-Bruins, the arena also hosted, among other things, the first few [Hockey East tournaments](2026-03-21_hechampionship2024). It is my understanding that the building underwent massive renovations at some point during the 2000s, and my only visit was in 2023, so I don’t exactly have much of a reference for how the building was back in the day versus how it is now.

Having said that, however...I feel there’s not much to say about the place (which is why I never ). It's basically your "run of the mill minor league arena" with a full seating bowl and concourse (only ONE mind you, as it's about midway up the seating bowl but uses staircases by the entrances for the upper sections). Having said THAT, however, I came here for a preseason game and ended up sitting right behind the benches, which was interesting (or at least it was cool seeing the players slide down after shifts)[^3].

I am mildly ashamed to report that to date, this is one of the few hockey games where I didn't stay until the end - it went to overtime, but I wanted to get home, so I left at the end of regulation[^4]. As I recall, Providence ended up winning (though I don't remember if a shootout was required), but again, it was a preseason game, so it TECHNICALLY didn't count for anything...

<div id="merch" />

### MERCH

You might be surprised to learn that there is a full fledged store here - and when I say that, I mean an actual space meant for retail and not just a booth on the concourse! I recall it having both P-Bruins and Providence Friars merchandise when I went, but I don’t remember if there was more of one or the other. There were also other merchandise kiosks on the concourse - I can’t remember how many there were, but I RECALL seeing at least two of them (outside of the main store).

In the past, the P-Bruins only sold old game worn jerseys on their online team store[^5], but a year or two ago, started selling other items online (and seemingly STOPPED selling game-worn jerseys). They did have a table at the game I went to where they sold these game worn jerseys, however, and I bought one which came with a certificate of authenticity - something I have NEVER received for any of the other player-used items I've gotten for ANY team (though there's reasons I never received certificates for a few of them). I know I've mentioned this game worn jersey at least once on this blog, and I must say that it is MASSIVE and MUCH heavier than most other jerseys I own despite it being what is essentially size XL (it is the same size as the game worn jersey I got in [Bridgeport](2026-01-12_bptislanders) FWIW)...

---

[^1]: There’s a Maine Mariners in existence currently, but they’re an ECHL team with no connection to the old Mariners outside of the name. Coincidentally, they’re the Bruins’ ECHL affiliate.

[^2]: I guess I COULD mention last season, but...

[^3]: I do have ONE photo I took from the game, but it's not very good and is a cropped Instagram story, so I ended up not including it.

[^4]: Another one of these games is the [Rangers](2026-09-23_nyrangers) game I went to a few weeks ago - I didn't want to miss my train so I left before the game ended, but I'd already seen the Rangers blow a 3-0 lead and no additional goals were scored after I left (not even an empty netter, as I saw that the Rangers had pulled their goalie when I checked at a bar in Penn Station).

[^5]: The AHL has a "central" store where they sell merch for all 32 teams. I bought a replica P-Bruins jersey here, but the quality of it scared me away from buying CCM replicas for a while...


A quick look at one of the AHL’s most historic markets

Providence Bruins (American Hockey League) @ Amica Mutual Pavilion (Providence, RI)


### _[2026: New Venue #28](2026newvenuelist)_

_I've actually been to Madison Square Garden before, but as this is my first sporting event here, I'm marking this as a "new venue"._

I've mentioned that hockey is probably my favorite winter sport to watch, but the National Hockey League is currently the only major sports league that has yet to feature on this blog. Well, that changes today, because I'm writing about the NHL for the first time...ever!

I'm not sure how many NHL games I've been to vs. MLB games (as I've only seen NHL games at TWO buildings prior to this game[^1]), but the last NHL game I went to was a preseason game in October 2024 - JUST before I started writing about things that aren't baseball or college hockey. It was the Rangers and Devils at the [Prudential Center](2025-08-27_nysirens) in Newark, and while it did feature almost none of either team's NHL squads as both teams were in Europe (though there was one Jakub Zboril), the Devils had a certain (almost) famous name in net: Jeremy Brodeur, son of franchise legend Martin Brodeur (whom I actually got to see at least three times).

That aside, I'm not going to discuss my NHL allegiances here, but as a reminder: I live in New Jersey - to be more specific, North Jersey[^2]. In my experience, this area seems rather split between two major hockey teams: the aforementioned New Jersey Devils and the New York Rangers; while most folks I've met are Devils fans (such as many of the people I went to high school with), I feel like I know a fair amount of Ranger fans from the area. Whether that be due to the Rangers having been around 56 years longer than the Devils or Christians who cannot get behind supporting a team named the "Devils" I don't know, but one thing I do know: the fans of each team HATE the other team.

HOWEVER...

Despite them being the "closer" team (and also the team I THINK I've seen the most amongst the major North American leagues), the thing that prevents me from going to more Devils games (outside of ticket prices): Prudential Center's location. While downtown Newark isn't necessarily the worst place in the world, speaking from experience...it's not exactly "great". Yes, there are a number of parking lots very close to the arena, but given that they're arena lots, they're not exactly "cheap" for events; my dad was a monthly pass holder in one of the garages pre-COVID (as his office was a few blocks away), and he'd have to move his car prior to events to avoid having to pay event rates. In addition, while there is moderately convenient train service to the arena (as Newark Penn Station is connected via an elevated walkway), getting there from where I live is fairly awkward due to the "set up" of the city's trains; the station nearest me does not have direct access to Newark Penn, so I'd need to take a "connecting" train to get from Newark Broad Street to Newark Penn Station (and speaking from personal experience: both Newark Penn Station and Newark Broad Street are not the kind of places you want to be at for long periods of time - even in broad daylight)[^3].

The Rangers, on the other hand, are somehow better located despite being further away. Sure, driving into New York City sucks and parking is even worse, but unlike the Devils, trains are WAY more convenient, as their arena sits atop New York Penn Station - America's busiest train hub with direct connection to my station. Yes, it does feature a few...interesting sights (especially if you're there at 2 AM - something that I've done once before), but with just how much more "normal" people there are (because of Amtrak AND LIRR), it doesn't feel as "bad" as either Newark station. Also, I feel like I can at least "get behind" the Rangers WAY more than I ever could with the [Yankees](2026-06-04_nyyankees) (some of that being the "James Dolan pity effect"), so going to a game at Madison Square Garden - the self proclaimed "World's Most Famous Arena" - is definitely something I felt I'd be interested in. One thing you may not have known about the building: it's not the original Madison Square Garden.

Madison Square Garden was first opened in 1879 and named after a nearby public park[^4], but was apparently so dangerous that it was closed about ten years later. Its replacement - also named Madison Square Garden and built in the same area as the original arena - opened in 1890, but was closed in 1925 - one year before the Rangers debuted. A THIRD Madison Square Garden opened in 1925 and was the original home of the Rangers - despite being NOWHERE close to Madison Square (it was just northwest of Times Square). This MSG lasted until 1968, when the fourth (and current) Madison Square Garden was opened in the heart of Midtown Manhattan (and by virtue of it being nearly 60 years old, it holds the title of "longest lasting Madison Square Garden").

I mentioned earlier that the arena is on top of Penn Station; this has been fairly controversial since the building opened, as it replaced an ornate station building with, in essence, brutal and dimly lit concourses. In an attempt to revive the "vibe", there were calls to "move" the arena yet again, but between New York City being New York City and MSG (the company that owns the arena) refusing to leave, not much happened over the years. Eventually, Penn Station expanded itself into a nearby building which was largely vacant prior to the renovations, but that's getting WAY off topic (and also it's hard to "use" it if you're an NJ Transit customer like me), so let's get back to the arena.

Given its location in the heart of Manhattan, it should come as no surprise that it's one of New York's most prestigious concert venues in addition to being the home of the Rangers and Knicks. In fact, while this is the first time I've been to MSG for a sporting event, it's not my first visit to the place: I came here for a concert in 2019 (for a band which has since been "cancelled by association" - don't ask), and I also did a tour of the place once (which was by and large kinda "okay at best" - though I did get to hear Michael Buble doing vocal-warm ups as well as see the Knicks locker room).

Alas, the building is...pretty much what you'd expect from an indoor arena: a pair of concourses (the upper one being particularly narrow I must say) with a bunch of stands for food and merch and almost no outdoor light. If you're in the upper sections, be aware that the building received a MASSIVE "transformation" during the 2010s (it used to be just one MASSIVE seating bowl), and as a side effect of this transformation, sightlines from some of the higher sections are obscured. When I was poking around the various sections while seeking tickets (i.e. the days before finding my seat), I found that the highest sections (which, it should be noted, are in only ONE of the ends) had no view of the scoreboard, and that certain rows in the "sideline" sections had what is known as a "bridge" obscuring views (though there's screens to show the action - something [Citi Field](2026-05-01_nymets) has for the back rows of some of its sections). Despite this game being a preseason game, there were some seats that felt WAY overpriced...but also some that were not so bad - and a couple of days before the game, THIS was available for just over 50 bucks (and at least 20% of that was fees):

![An image of a faceoff being taken at Madison Square Garden from the lower bowl](/images/2026/0922-msg.jpeg)

Anyway, I realize I haven't actually discussed the team at hand, but I also don't know how much that's necessary given their status as one of the most valuable teams in the NHL. The big thing you need to know about the Rangers (outside of them being an "Original Six" team) is 1994 - the year they won a Stanley Cup that broke a 54-year drought that THEY WILL NOT SHUT UP ABOUT (much to the chagrin of the Vancouver Canucks in more than one way). 

Despite this being a preseason game, I felt like the crowd/atmosphere was quite lively, and there were quite a few chippy moments including an honest-to-god fight - likely because the Rangers were playing against the OTHER New York team in the Islanders. The Rangers have had a few down years recently (though this doesn't seem to have a major effect on the secondary market FWIW[^5]), but took a 3-0 lead about midway through the game...and then lost in regulation (though again, preseason...).

Also, if you're not a fan of going to hockey games because of how loud goal horns are, I believe that MSG is one of two NHL arenas that lacks a real goal horn (the other being [TD Garden](2026-03-21_hechampionship2024)); they use a recording of a horn which is honestly a bit hard to hear in the arena.

<div id="merch" />

### MERCH

As this is the first time I'm covering the National Hockey League on this blog, there is one thing I do need to discuss: Retail Jersey Tiers!

While retail hockey jerseys have gone through a slew of "systems" over the years, the current system was, more or less, adopted in 2017 when Adidas became the league's jersey manufacturer. in 2024, a certain company which shall remain nameless "took over", but they largely kept the same system Adidas was using before then. 

1. Breakaway: These are basically the "replica" level for the NHL, and they've actually been manufactured by the same company (i.e. the faceless company now responsible for ALL NHL jerseys) since 2017. These are the least expensive, but they're also not that great: the material feels a bit rough IMO, and the graphics are a bit lacking (usually flat with an appearance of being screen printed). It should be noted, however, that for a while, replica hockey jerseys did not have stitched-on logos (namely in the CCM and Reebok eras[^6]), and the ones in the current system do (or at least the front logos are stitched).
2. Premium: This jersey is a step up from the replica: all logos are stitched (and even feature a bit of texture), and the jersey has a "fight strap" (which is meant to keep the jersey from being ripped off of a player in a fight). From 2017 until 2024, however, this was called an "authentic" jersey despite not actually being what players wore during games (as well as the fact that they were made in Indonesia), but it was the closest fans could get to what the pros actually wore, as those jerseys were largely unavailable to the public (i.e. not sold in stores).
3. Authentic Pro: This is what the players ACTUALLY wear. They're made in Canada and are NOTABLY different/better than the "Authentic" jersey...but they're also not cheap: I believe prices for these start around $400, and as someone who prefers physical retail over online retail, they're difficult to find in stores (case in point: I've only seen TWO stores stock these, and both were in **Boston**).

At this game, only the middle tier of jersey was available; also, I've found that most jerseys sold at arenas have player names already stitched on. There was one jersey I found that was available blank, but it lacked a special patch that its "named" counterparts all had (though thankfully the patch was available separately[^7]).

Having said all of this, I will admit that like other major sports leagues, most of the NHL stuff I've gotten - i.e. jerseys and pucks (and the occasional hat and/or mini stick, though I've been trying to cut down on those recently) - has been from various Dick's Sporting Goods/Lids, thrift stores (which includes a rather INSANE pull I'm hoping to talk about soon), one jersey I called a team's practice facility to order, and the NHL Store a few blocks from MSG (which, it should be mentioned, I have yet to see the high-tier jersey at). Coincidentally, I actually got a Rangers jersey at this NHL store around the time of the 2024 switchover from Adidas (as it was on sale then)[^8].

Anyway, as you'd expect for a major arena, there are several merchandise areas dotted around the concourses of MSG; I counted two "stores" (both on the main concourse) and three "booths" around the arena - not including what I consider to be the "main" store. What I find interesting about the main store - i.e. the one that is open outside of events - is that it's fully inside the arena's "secure" area, so if you're trying to visit it during non-event times (which I've done in the past), you still have to go through security. Similar to TD Garden, however, is the fact that it's outside the "paid" area, so I'm pretty sure you can't visit it after you've scanned your ticket.

(Finally, I feel like I should mention Gerry Cosby - a old local sports shop which used to be across the street from MSG. I got a few things from them back in the day, but based on things I saw when I looked them up, they've moved to...western Massachusetts.)

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[^1]: I was SUPPOSED to see a game at the Meadowlands as a kid, but we didn't make it due to a flat tire.

[^2]: I specify "North Jersey" here because South Jersey is a bit of a different beast given that the Flyers are closer to most of the residents down there.

[^3]: And before you ask about walking from Broad Street to the arena: no. Absolutely not. Again, speaking from personal experience.

[^4]: Fun fact: Madison Square Park is the home of the original Shake Shack. I visited it once (as my mom worked in an office in the area), and all I can say is that Shake Shack ain't what it used to be...

[^5]: The lowest "get-in" price (i.e. the price of the least expensive ticket for a particular game) is $80, and only six of the team's 42 home games had get-in prices less than $100 (this is all as of the date this was originally published). Also, if you're wondering, the get-in price for Knicks preseason games was north of $100 when I checked prior to publishing this post, and given EVERYTHING about them in 2026...

[^6]: I will note, however, that I did randomly find a Reebok replica jersey with a stitched-on logo at a Marshalls back in 2025 (some eight years after the switch to Adidas). Strangely, despite the store being just north of Philadelphia, it was a Toronto Maple Leafs jersey.

[^7]: Had I been unable to find the patch, I would have had some serious thoughts about dropping nearly $300 on a jersey that normally costs $230...and I should note that said patch was GLUED ON.

[^8]: There were A LOT of Adidas jerseys for sale at the game, but they were not discounted at all...

I FINALLY talk about the National Hockey League

New York Rangers (National Hockey League) @ Madison Square Garden (New York, NY)


The Premier Lacrosse League was founded in 2018 as an upstart lacrosse league meant to compete with Major League Lacrosse - the more established league at the time (which debuted in 2001). What made the PLL unique among professional sports leagues is that it used a barnstorming model, where instead of teams traveling to visit each other, the entire league would descend on a stadium and play multiple games there during a weekend (a la [Cosmic Baseball](2026-05-15_cosmicbaseball) or, in some respects, [Banana Ball](2025-08-23_bananaball_bos)). Originally, six teams with no geographic locators (Archers, Atlas, Chaos, Chrome, Redwoods, and Whipsnakes) competed in the first season (2019), and a seventh (the Waterdogs) joined in a COVID affected 2020 season (yes, the PLL played in 2020).

In the fall of 2020, the PLL sent shockwaves through the sports world by announcing that as part of a merger with Major League Lacrosse, the combined leagues would operate under PLL branding and practices - meaning that **it had won**. The league added the Cannons Lacrosse Club as its eighth team (based on one of MLL's most historic identities), and while the league still currently has eight teams operating in a barnstorming model, each team was given a "home market" in 2024, and the league's stops include each team's home market, where the "in market" team plays two games in a certain weekend (while other teams typically play one or none). Those eight teams are:

- Utah Archers
- New York Atlas
- Boston Cannons (the MLL team "added" in the merger)
- Carolina Chaos
- **Denver Outlaws (formerly the Chrome Lacrosse Club)**
- California Redwoods
- **Philadelphia Waterdogs**
- Maryland Whipsnakes

This game - the league's 2026 championship game - features the two teams in bold from this list, so let's talk about them a bit.

### Know the competition

I'll start with the "underdog" Denver Outlaws - simultaneously the "older" and "newer" of the two.

The Denver Outlaws, despite "only" being founded in 2006, were a legendary MLL team: they appeared in MLL's championship game a whopping TEN times - even if they only have three titles to show for it. However, as the Cannons were "chosen" as the lone MLL identity to carry on in the merger, the Outlaws ended up "going dormant". Meanwhile, the Chrome Lacrosse Club was one of the PLL's founding teams, but were never truly successful - spending four years alternating between second and last place finishes. When the PLL announced home markets in 2024, the Chrome Lacrosse Club was "retired" in favor of a return of the Outlaws.

On the other side, you have the Philadelphia Waterdogs - the top team in the PLL this year. The Waterdogs were founded in 2020 as the PLL's first expansion team (as mentioned earlier), won a PLL championship in 2022, and were assigned Philly as their market in 2024 (which had an MLL team from 2004-2008 and then again in 2020). Outside of that...there's not much to say about them I feel - though it should be noted that Philly seems like a somewhat odd market: the aforementioned MLL team won three titles in their short time in Philly, but went dormant in 2009 amid financial issues (also: the [Philadelphia](2025-08-27_phiwings) [Wings](2026-04-12_phiwings2)).

### Gameday

![A photo of a lacrosse game at Sports Illustrated Stadium](/images/2026/0920-pllchampeenship.jpeg)

This trip was NOT my intended time/place to see the PLL: I originally had plans to see the league in Fairfield, CT (which was a "neutral site" event)[^1], but rain on the day I intended to go scuttled that idea. After that, I thought about heading down to see the league stop in Philadelphia, but rain put a damper on THAT weekend as well. Heck, this game featured rain throughout, but the stadium's upper deck and covered concourses meant that there was ample space for fans to stay dry. This is also not my first time seeing the Premier Lacrosse League - I saw the league's quarterfinals played at Gillette Stadium in 2023, but I didn't write about it for many, MANY reasons (namely the fact that I had a WHOLE lot of background stuff happen that day)[^2].

As this is the FIFTH time I'm visiting Sports Illustrated Stadium in the past year or so, I won't be talking about it much - use the links in the "sidebar" to read more about my other visits. However, I wasn't sure if there were plans to have a "plaza" outside the stadium (like the other games I've been to here), but I would not be surprised if the league had to move things due to the weather; there were plenty of related things in the "bowels" of the stadium (i.e. between the stadium gates and the stairs to the main concourse), including various activities and vendors (it's all under the main concourse, so it's all covered).

One side note about field lacrosse: in hockey and soccer, I find that one of the more interesting things about watching them live versus on television is seeing the goaltender idle around while their team is attacking on the other side of the rink/field. I don't know how it's exactly worded, but in essence, field lacrosse rules require both teams to have at least three players on either side of the midfield line at ALL TIMES. Personally, I kinda enjoy watching the guys who have nothing to do while all the action occurs on the other half of the field, because it's something you don't get to see on television. Also, as lacrosse has deep Native American roots, this game featured a land acknowledgement (i.e. a statement about the natives who lived in America prior to its colonization in the 1600s) prior to the national anthem - something I've only seen done for Australian sports.

![An image of players on a lacrosse field](/images/2026/0920-backline.jpeg)

<figcaption>"So, who's your NLL team now that the Wings are <a href="https://www.nll.com/news/national-lacrosse-league-to-move-forward-with-12-active-member-clubs-for-2026-27-season/" target="blank">gone</a>?"</figcaption>

To be fully honest, I forgot how fun field lacrosse is to watch prior to seeing this game (though part of that is me only having been to [ONE](2025-08-26_rulacrosse_mens) field lacrosse game prior to this). It is a bit difficult to get to more games (what with the PLL being in different cities every weekend), but it's definitely something I'd go back (and since New Jersey has a fairly interesting lacrosse culture, don't be surprised to see more next year).

<div id="merch" />

### MERCH

In the past, PLL jerseys were more or less designed similar to hockey (or, fittingly, box lacrosse) jerseys, with a large logo on the front (though they are short sleeved). This year, the league landed a deal with Nike, and for whatever reason, the template has now switched to a more American football style (i.e. big numbers with a script above). I do not know exactly what the "common" design for FIELD lacrosse jerseys is, but as someone who kinda sorta prefers blank jerseys, I'm not really sure I'm a fan (another reason I'm not super into football jerseys)[^3].

Having said that, though, I've always kinda felt that the PLL leans HEAVY into marketing/selling merchandise - it kinda has to as a niche league/sport. for example, a few years ago PLL game balls and miniature lacrosse sticks were available at Walmart of all places (though it's been a bit since I've seen them), and the "program" for this game (i.e. the lineup) featured a rather large "ad" for merch on the back.

My memory of the merchandise booths at the Foxboro game is a bit hazy, but I do recall going a bit crazy with hats as well as buying a (not Philadelphia at the time) Waterdogs jersey (because I liked the color)[^4]. At this game, there were four different booths around the concourse, and it seemed like while there were some "common" items, each one had WILDLY different items available: the "main" one on the sideline was the only one with jerseys, while another one was the only one with mini sticks, a different one had shirts for each team with Nike's famous "JUST DO IT" catchphrase, and a fourth one had things such as PLL hoodies and team pennants (though they didn't have all pennants for all of the teams). Also, at least two of the booths had championship items available literally seconds after the game ended (a shirt, a hat, and a hoodie).

Oh right, I should probably talk about the game since I haven't done that yet...

### The Champeenship

This game got off to a VERY hot start - three minutes into the game, the teams had already combined to score five goals!

However, as the game wore on, one team CLEARLY outclassed the other both offensively and defensively - to the tune of them allowing ZERO GOALS for the entire second half (a rare feat in lacrosse), and the losers tying a record for fewest goals scored in a lacrosse championship game (four).

Congratulations to your 2026 Premier Lacrosse League champions:

![A photo of the celebrations](/images/2026/0920-champeens.jpeg)

# The Philadelphia Waterdogs.

(In some sense, they had a MASSIVE advantage with all the water in the air...)

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As a final note: I was actually supposed to be doing something else COMPLETELY different this weekend, but there are reasons I had to "pivot" to this. In related news: don't be surprised to see me report on another champeenship soon...

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[^1]: In case anyone was wondering: Fairfield IS part of the New York City media market, but the New York team had its homecoming weekend at Hofstra University on Long Island - after having it in Albany in the two prior seasons.

[^2]: I mentioned a bit ago that I had a few stadiums I went to but never wrote about. Well...Gillette is NOT getting one of those posts for various reasons - namely the fact that it is more or less a "standard" football stadium with not much to talk about, plus one other reason that I'll get into soon.

[^3]: I could also make a snarky comment about the sponsor all PLL jerseys now feature below the back number, but all I'll say is try a bidet if you can.

[^4]: One other note: I've only seen ONE jersey available at a PLL event that wasn't a sublimated replica, but I wasn't that interested in it as it's a BIT of an ego trip (it was for one of the league's founders, and it cost $200 - a bit much for a "t-shirt" as a recently-in-the-news rapper would probably tell you).


America's professional Field Lacrosse league crowns its 2026 champion

Premier Lacrosse League Championship Game: Denver Outlaws vs. Philadelphia Waterdogs @ Sports Illustrated Stadium (Harrison, NJ)


### [SUMMER OF BASEBALL 2023: STOP 16](summerofbaseball2023)

Wahconah Park is a very historic park - it boasts that it has hosted “professional baseball since 1892” (20 years before the opening of [Fenway Park](bananaball_bospt3)). A host of minor league and independent teams have come through far western Massachusetts, with the last one leaving town as recently as 2011.

![a photo of a manual scoreboard at Wahconah Park](/images/baseball2023/wahconahscoreboard.jpeg)

<figcaption>I don't believe this scoreboard was in use when I came here</figcaption>

A year after that team left, the Futures League came to town with the Pittsfield Suns - named after Wahconah’s most unusual feature: the fact that the batter faces WEST. This means that for a brief period of time during evening games, the sun is directly in the batter's eyes, and “sun delays” are common during games (to avoid this causing any advantages/disadvantages).

The main feature here was a wooden grandstand built in 1919 (making it one of the oldest wooden grandstands in the United States); it was almost torn down some time ago, but local community efforts saved it (in fact, the guy who wrote Ball Four wrote a book about this campaign). Behind this grandstand, you've got a "plaza" area that's fairly similar to a bunch of other New England summer league parks, but one of my favorite parts of the park has to be this old-timey (and mildly horrifying now that I see it again) "ad" in the outfield:

![An image of a sign that says "STRIKE OUT TOBACCO"](/images/baseball2023/wahconahad.jpeg)

Unfortunately, with a lot of history comes a lot of wear and tear...and Wahconah was no exception.

I was only able to visit once in 2022 and 2023, and both years, the wooden grandstand was inaccessible to fans (though the concession stands were open, and some staff were allowed inside). Metal bleachers were set up around the field for seating, and I distinctly recall being REAL close to the dugouts, which made for an...interesting viewing experience.

![A photo](/images/baseball2023/wahconahgrandstand.jpg)

<figcaption>History: so close, and yet so far away...</figcaption>

<div id="merch" />

### MERCH

Unlike the concession stands, merch is sold in a small shed across from the grandstand. While I don't FULLY remember everything they had (i.e. they MIGHT have had a jersey available, but I can't remember), Pittsfield was unique amongst Futures League teams in that they sold exclusively _fitted_ player hats (as opposed to the other teams in the league which sell flexfit hats).

The first time I came here, I bought the team’s two fitted hats (one red, one black) in the size I’ve been getting New Era hats in (having recently gotten back into collecting fitteds). However, I felt that they were kinda big, so the second, I got the hats again in a smaller size - and they fit quite well! 

## ---

Now, if you've been following my series of baseball posts over the past few weeks, you probably noticed that the numbers indicate me skipping this one when it was _supposed_ to come up. That's because...

The problems with Wahconah Park got so bad that the Suns went dormant in 2024, and while it does seem like they’re TRYING to come back eventually, it’ll have to wait a bit, as the grandstand was (supposedly) demolished in 2026 (this according to the local news). I don’t know if/when I’ll be able to come back (or if the Suns will come back, as there's no timeline on a new grandstand due to - what else? - funding), but I’m sure it’ll be quite different (and whether or not it will still face west is definitely a good question). With that in mind, I decided to "postpone" this to the end of this series, as there's a chance that the Suns are, in fact, going the way of the [Winnipesaukee Muskrats](2026-04-11_wpsmuskrats) and have played their final game. 


Sportventures

In the Club (Sports)

CATCH-UP: The (ex-)Dunk

WHOA-OH-OH

King of the Sticks

Go West