Birthday Game
Posted July 24th, 2006 by Nathan DeGraaf
Friday, my buddy Peek celebrated a birthday. So I drove down to St. Petersburg (after work) and attended the Tampa Bay Devil Ray's game. They played the Baltimore Orioles (insert "Clash of the Titans" joke, here). Now, in honor of ESPN's Sports Center, here are my top five moments from that game.
5. I scream really loud. That stadium (Tropicana Field) is always really empty. Because there were so many of us in our group (around twenty) we had to start off the game in the nosebleed seats (so we all would have a meeting place), where I proceeded to scream as loudly as humanly possible (I cannot stress this enough: I am loud). I like to think that the perfect timing of my echo-filled screams was enough to distract that game's starting pitchers. But in truth, all I did was drive a family of four out of our section. That was funny.
4. Peek's dad called Peek for his birthday. After they finished talking, Peek handed his phone to me. At that point, Peek's dad asked me, "When are you gonna write something that's worth a damn?"
Thanks for reading, Leon.
3. I have a personal philosophy that basically states that one can go almost anywhere if one acts as if they belong there. Well, Friday's game featured a new attraction at Tropicana Field (which is a dome?people are stupid): actual devil rays. We were even allowed to pet them. Once I found this out, I ran upstairs and proceeded to play with the rays. I was having a lot of fun until Peek informed me that I'd basically cut the line in front of a couple hundred children and therefore, was essentially the worst kind of jerk.
Sorry, kids.
2. It was Scott Kazmir Figurine Day. I mean, that's exciting, right? Scott freaking Kazmir! I was happy.
1. Peek bought me some fries. And it was his birthday. I mean, that made me feel so special, I couldn't stand it.
So, there you go. In case you were wondering what it's like to spend a friend's birthday in an ugly, empty stadium on Scott Kazmir Figurine Day when you don't care who wins while getting to play with actual devil rays, wonder no more. Your questions have been answered.
No need to thank me. I love what I do and all that.
5. I scream really loud. That stadium (Tropicana Field) is always really empty. Because there were so many of us in our group (around twenty) we had to start off the game in the nosebleed seats (so we all would have a meeting place), where I proceeded to scream as loudly as humanly possible (I cannot stress this enough: I am loud). I like to think that the perfect timing of my echo-filled screams was enough to distract that game's starting pitchers. But in truth, all I did was drive a family of four out of our section. That was funny.
4. Peek's dad called Peek for his birthday. After they finished talking, Peek handed his phone to me. At that point, Peek's dad asked me, "When are you gonna write something that's worth a damn?"
Thanks for reading, Leon.
3. I have a personal philosophy that basically states that one can go almost anywhere if one acts as if they belong there. Well, Friday's game featured a new attraction at Tropicana Field (which is a dome?people are stupid): actual devil rays. We were even allowed to pet them. Once I found this out, I ran upstairs and proceeded to play with the rays. I was having a lot of fun until Peek informed me that I'd basically cut the line in front of a couple hundred children and therefore, was essentially the worst kind of jerk.
Sorry, kids.
2. It was Scott Kazmir Figurine Day. I mean, that's exciting, right? Scott freaking Kazmir! I was happy.
1. Peek bought me some fries. And it was his birthday. I mean, that made me feel so special, I couldn't stand it.
So, there you go. In case you were wondering what it's like to spend a friend's birthday in an ugly, empty stadium on Scott Kazmir Figurine Day when you don't care who wins while getting to play with actual devil rays, wonder no more. Your questions have been answered.
No need to thank me. I love what I do and all that.






9 Comments
who won?
Can I have your Scott Kazmir figurine? I went to high school with him.
Rays in a tank at the stadium. Yep, that'll have the fans pouring in the door.
How wasted were you when you wrote this?
"Chad" sums it up correctly:
"how wasted were u when u wrote this?" and dont say u werent
Actually Steph and Chad, I was just busy. I've said it before: I don't get writer's block, I just produce a subpar product.
Juggs, it's all for the kids.
Cody, I left mine at Peek's house. There are about ten of them there thouigh. I'll look into it for you, though.
Ty, the Rays won 14-7. we couldn't believe it either.
wow, nicely summarized in one response AND the devil rays won. Wonders never cease to amaze me =P
There is no reason in the world that can explain why Kazmir is a Devil Ray instead of a Met.
i didn't think the post was subpar it just had a different feel and tone than most of them. But... you know... whatever's clever.
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