Last year, as a preparatory trip to the Final Four, your boys Kev-O, Pepster, and Sinickal planned a trip to watch basketball centered around the two cathedrals of the sport: Madison Square Garden and the Palestra. MSG - the world's second most famous arena - should go without saying, but the Palestra, former home of the entire Big Five of Philadelphia basketball, and now current home of some of the Big Five, is a cozy cathedral that is a much-see location for all hoop headz. Why do we call it the Amtrak Basketball Classic? Because Sinikal and Kev-O live in the DMV, so Pepster flew into Reagan National to meet them, and the three of us Amtraked to NYC for the noon tip-off there, and then Amtraked to Philly for a 7:00 p.m. tip-off there (and then back to the DMV). Let's just say the trip was so fantastic, that we had to do a redux, and was such a blast that others insisted on being included this time - a total of 10 people!!! So, we (pseudo-live) blogged it!
Friday, February 20
11: 49 a.m. - Pepster and Bill arrive at PBI for their flight to Reagan National.
11:57 - TWISTED TRUNK at the airport!!! Why is this even mentioned? Because Twisted Trunk was a favorite Palm Beach watering hole of Pepster and Bill that closed a few months ago, and we had no idea one opened up in the airport!!!
12:00 p.m. - First drink; Bloody Maria for Bill and Double Down Hazy Double IPA for Pepster.
13:11 - Lady at the gate in a Florida Panthers "Tkachuk Around and Find Out" tee shirt. She is obviously ready for the semi-final Olympic men's hockey game today!
13:14 - Announcement of no Wi-Fi on the plane!
15:40 - Pepster and Bill land.
16:38 - Arrive at Sinickal's house.
18:18 - Sinickal, Pepster and Bill arrive at Duffy's, a local establishment that has announced they are closing their doors at the end of shift February 28. Women at the very first table wearing a "Chinga La Migra" shirt. God do we love DC!
19:08 - Sinickal and Allison, who has just recently joined us at Duffy's, are talking to Rick, a bartender at Duffy's. Sinickal is leading an animated discussion about Rick being without his phone for quite sometime because he left it in a Lyft. Rick states that he just communicates through Instagram if he needs to speak to his kids, but he is mostly incommunicado. Sinickal, "That is very 1992 of you. I hope you don't die of dysentery!"
20:01 - Brandon, Pepster's brother who actually lives in Jersey City but is currently in Miami for work but was planning to join the festivities tomorrow, texts to say that his plane has been delayed multiple times out of Miami, and he can no longer get back into town until Sunday. We are down to 9.
21:28 - Allison heads home while Sinickal, Pepster and Bill head to Trusty's. GREAT dive bar, which only recently took a stray through its window, and with great homemade onion dip. Yes, I typed what I typed.
Time Unknown - Back to the crib.
Saturday, February 21
6:00 a.m. - Pepster, Bill and Sinickal are all awake; boy is it early! Gonna be a long day.
6:50 - The three of us head to Union Station with the wonderful Allison as our chaffeur.
6:58 - Enter Union Station.
7:00 - Run into Mick in line for breakfast at McDonald's. We are now 4!
7:15 - Our 7:30 departure for the Vermonter is delayed. They have to remove a car, making the trip more congested. They also announce that because of this, time at tables in the Cafe Car will be limited to twenty (20) minutes. Uh Oh!
7:20 - While in line for boarding, we see Brian make it into the line. We are now 5!
7:45 - Begin boarding.
8:02 - Onboard in the car next to the Cafe Car. The 5 of us are a bit spread out, but still close enough to annoy the rest of the passengers - if we wanted to do so.
8:10 - Cafe car is open. We head back, take a table or 2, and order 2 Dogfish Head 90 minute IPAs, 6 Stella's and 2 Michelob Ultras. Not apiece.
8:15 - Two ladies and 1 younger man join the cafe car and sit at a nearby table. They are discussing their order. The young man says he doesn't want anything because he is still drunk. Sinickal then asks the other two, "Are you still drunk?" One lady responds, "No, I am his mother!" Sinickal retorts, "I didn't ask who you were. I just asked if you were still drunk.
9:20 - Simcox - Sinickal's college roommate at Syracuse - joins us at the Baltimore stop. We are now 6!
9:35 - After ordering 2 Stone IPAs, Simcox sits down while Pepster and Sinickal are re-telling the story of the greatest argument they ever had, which involves the Canterbury Hotel and Mike Tyson. Simcox asks, why didn't you just look it [the answer to the argument] up? Sinickal's response of "That isn't what we do. In 20 years, I hope to be sitting in the corner of a black barbershop having a similar argument with someone" prompts an immediate spit-take from Simcox. Unfortunately for Pepster, Simcox was sitting right across the table from him! It is only 9:30!
9:45 - Simcox realizes that the conductor walked by and did not ask for his ticket.
10:02 - Random out-of-context quotation, "If you can't fuck up a step kid, who can you?
10:39 - As we approach Newark, New Jersey, we have officially drank the cafe car out of Stella Artois.
10:42 - The conductor walks by us, points at his watch and says, "Your 15 minutes in the Cafe Car is almost up. It has been 2 1/2 hours.
10:49 - Random discussion about arson.
10:50 - Kev-O arrives at Bourbon and Branch, followed shortly by Tony and Pete. Tells the rest of us he is posted up at the back of the bar.
11:15 - Tony orders cheesesteak egg rolls and other assorted appetizers to be waiting for us when we arrive.
11:18 - Arrive at NY Penn Station (under MSG), and head to Bourbon and Branch (one block away).
11:38 - Pepster, Sinickal, Bill, Mick, Brian, and Simcox arrive at Bourbon and Branch. We are now officially 9. Bourbons all around. No chance of drinking this place out of Bourbon - especially for a noon tip-off.
12:01 p.m. - Guy in the MSG concourse wearing a Colorado "Prime" Hoodie.
12:21 - In our seats for the St. John's - Creighton game. Creighton isn't at their best, but they did just beat UConn earlier in the week in a game that featured a brawl and ejections for both teams.
12:34 - Woman sitting behind us proclaims, "We didn't get tickets for Wicked so we ended up here!
13:51 - With 8:00 left in the game, Pepster calls "Time of Death" for Creighton. Head back to Penn Station for group drinks and maybe some food.
14:07 - Post up at "Irish Exit" in Moynihan Hall.
14:14 - As Pepster saunters up to the counter of the pizza place in the food hall, Pete methodically approaches Pepster and says to follow him. They exit the station, cross the street, and go to another pizza place. "Best slices in the city," says Pete. They were.
14:54 - Board the Amtrak train to Philly sans Kev-O, who had to stay in New York. We are now 8!
15:17 - Random discussion around us in which the phrase, "I threw the olive in there to confuse you" is heard. Sinickal - "That's what she said!"
15:29 - I like pictures.
15:32 - Our group is now arguing with National Park Service volunteers who have commandeered a single table in the Cafe Car, leaving Pepster to have to stand in the aisle. At least they start inundating us with National Park trivia. They are angry as we are questioning everything they ask (and rightfully so - poorly worded questions). For example, they ask how many Americans were killed at a specific battle in the Civil War. We ask if they are counting the Confederate soldiers, and if certain of the killed are only counted as 3/5ths of a person. They hate us. Oh, and we are also answering almost every question correctly. This continues through Philly.
15:33 - We have to text Kev-O about the trivia arguments so he feels a part of the remainder of the trip.
15:40 - Kev-O is pissed that he just went to the restroom and discovered his fly was down. I think he is pissed that none of us told him, but none of us really checked to be honest.
15:40:28 - Brian does a "safety" check of his own.
15:45 - "We call it Amtrak but some call it the train!"
15:58 - Brian is the first to fall asleep.
16:02 - Kev-O arrives at Long Room in the theater district for a dinner by himself, as he waits to meet up with his wife for a show this evening.
16:33 - A Pediatrician is giving out candy. What is a better cover than that? Also, someone was talking about their friend being a JetBlue flight attendant and asking, "What is better than that?" We immediately reply, "A Delta flight attendant!"
16:35 - Uber to Live Casino. Takes longer than it should. We immediately take a free shuttle to XFinity arena. In short, we paid $25 to take a free shuttle.
17:27 - Enter Xfinity Arena.
17:30 until 19:48 - Not really good basketball. All told, we saw 23 minutes of good basketball in two games.
18:15 - Kev-O texts asking for Proof of Life in Philly.
18:28 - Kev-O texts that he is getting some very discerning looks from a bartender who may or may not serve him another drink.
18:29 - Sinickal's response to Kev-O, "You should have just gotten on the train."
19:22 - Leave Xfinity arena. Heading to the SEPTA to go to The Post downtown near 30th Street Station.
19:25 - Kev-O texting asking if their is a Norwegian form of seppuku. Turns out he is watching the 50km freestyle cross-country skiing race and a Norwegian athlete - who will win the bronze medal as the third best in the world and is 2 minutes faster than 4th place - is still only the third best in his country. Pepster calls this the "Evgeni Malkin," who was easily a top 5 hockey player of his generation, but never the best on his club (Sidney Crosby) or in his country (Alex Ovechkin).
19:45 - Kev-O, again referencing the Cross-Country race, "I hope Klaebo is Norwegian for punching cervixes in the Olympic village!"
19:53 - Brian - "I think Kev-O is the drunkest out of all of us, and he still has to make that show!"
20:00 - Kev-O made the show!!!
20:20 - Enter The Post. For a University of Pennsylvania/Drexel University sports bar, this place is deserted.
21:45 - Hop on the train heading south to DC. This train is packed. NO space in the Cafe Car. We have to spread out in one car after Sinickal purchased 12 Stellas. There are only 2 left. Tony and Pete head back to NYC. We are now 6 again!
22:00 - People leave the train at various stops, and we start to consolidate into adjacent rows.
22:09 - Now in a row by himself, Bill becomes the second to fall asleep.
Time Unknown (forgot to look at our watches/phones) - Simcox exits in Baltimore. We are back to being 5.
23:21 - Brian goes to the cafe car to get one last round of beers in New Carrolton before we have to exit. They won't sell anything to him as the bar is closed.
23:40 - Exit at Union Station. Bid adieu to Mick. The remaining 4 (Sinickal, Bill, Brian and Pepster) head to Union Pub.
23:46 - Enter Union Pub. I swear there must have been a Heritage Foundation mixer (its offices are across the street.)
Time Unknown - Say goodbye to Brian, as Pepster, Sinckal and Bill head back to Silas' home.
Sunday, February 22
4:05 a.m. - Sinickal is out of bed to ride with Allison and Bill to the airport. Allison rolls over and is clearly not going to the airport.
4:20 - Bill and Sinickal leave for DCA. Sinickal and Allison's dog Dobber loudly expresses his disapproval of the noise on the lower level of the house. Pepster is unaware that any of this is going on.
6:00 - Bill's flight to PBI takes off. OMG it's early.
8:08 - Kev-O at the train station in NYC to complete his weekend trip. Mentally ill person screaming, "Tiger up your butt; prostitutes cost $100!"
8:10 - Puck drop for the Men's Olympic gold medal hockey game!
8:51 - Kev-O remarks on the Naloxone ads at Newark Penn Station.
9:05 - Brian wants to know what the Over/Under was on the mentions of the Miracle on Ice game during the gold medal match. Notes they are at 9 already midway through the second period.
9:12 - Wayne Gretzky is shown on the television as being in the audience with the announcer stating "The Greatest Canadian of All-Time."
9:12:11 - Pete textually exclaims, "That's John Candy you dumbass!"
10:34 - Heading to OVERTIME! FREE HOCKEY!
10:55 - JACK HUGHES!!!
11:40 - Sinickal, Pepster, and Allison enter Bar Chinois for bottomless brunch.
11:47 - Brian joins.
11:49 - Brad, Pepster's law school roommate, joins.
GREAT BRUNCH! HIGHLY RECOMMEND.
13:59 p.m. - Enter Irish Times. Chosen because it is a really convenient to drive Pepster to the airport and it is super nostalgic for Pepster and Brad.
16:06 - Pepster through security at DCA.
16:11 - Pepster at cafe near his gate, they sell Cafe Cubano!!! Feels compelled to buy one!
20:20 - Pepster arrives at home.
All - Already contemplating next year's trip. The Palestra has to be included in Philly instead of the Xfinity Center, as its proximity to downtown and the train station allows for less wasted time in travelling to the arena. Unless the Brightline allows for some combination of UCF (Orlando), FAU (Boca Raton), and University of Miami (Coral Gables). Stay tuned!
