Rail Life » Sports Near Light Rail

Opening Day and Hope are Here Again

Bill Risser — Thu, 05 Apr 2012 13:18:21 +0000

Opening Day and Hope are Here Again is a post from: Rail Life

Growing up in San Diego, there were two seasons. Perfect and Nearly Perfect. I never experienced the cold, snowy winters I see in the movies. That means I also did not experience the re-birth of spring. I did however, experience the renewal and hope that only the arrival of spring can bring.

April is my favorite month of the year. For those of you from colder climes (or those of you still there), I’m sure April ranked right up there for you too. My reason for loving April is simple. Opening Day.

When baseballs start flying around ball parks (not stadiums, parks) it signals the coming of spring. 30 teams and their fans around the country are filled with hope. Hope that their team will make the playoffs, even if it means a worst to first turn around.

For us in the desert, our hope is that the D’Backs can recapture the magic the 2011 season delivered.

We hope that Josh Collmenter and his windmill delivery will overcome his tough spring and keep tomahawking wins this year.

We hope that the addition of Jason Kubel will help protect Justin Upton and Chris Young in the middle of the lineup.

We hope that Ian Kennedy becomes even more dominant.

We hope that Stephen Drew recovers fully from his gruesome ankle injury to anchor the infield once again.

We hope that J.J. Putz continues to baffle opposition hitters in the ninth inning.

We hope that Kevin Towers and Kirk Gibson continue pulling all the right strings.

Hope. It’s a great word. It fits perfectly into the beginning of spring. It fits perfectly for Opening Day. I hope you have the opportunity to enjoy Opening Day too.

The Diamondbacks have sold out Opening Day. I hope you have tickets for Friday night’s matchup at Chase Field against the San Francisco Giants. 4:10 first pitch. Kennedy vs Lincecum.

Opening Day. Play ball!

View Phoenix Valley METRO Light Rail Map in a larger map

If you are one of the MANY people taking the light rail to Chase Field for Opening Day, remember that park and ride lots are FREE and your light rail pass is just $3.50

FREE Rides To Sweet Sixteen and Elite Eight in Phoenix

Rail Life — Thu, 22 Mar 2012 22:33:32 +0000

FREE Rides To Sweet Sixteen and Elite Eight in Phoenix is a post from: Rail Life

So, you are heading to the dance? What better way to get to US Airways Center than to hop on the light rail and have them take you there, for FREE? Yep, I’m freakin’ serious. All events at the US Airways Center qualify as FREE Rail Ride events.

“Through The Rail Ride Event, METRO will recognize any US Airways Center event ticket as valid light rail fare on the day of the event, for four hours prior to the start of the event, through the end of the transit day.”

Of course, you will want to know about some great places to hang out before and after the game, right? Our handy little “light rail drinks” map might give you a few ideas of where to hang out along the line.

Enjoy the games and don’t forget about the sweet offer from METRO and US Airways to let you ride for free with your paid ticket to any event at the arena. Heck, it can be a real money saver. You park for free, ride for free, it even makes a $10.00 beer at the game taste just a little bit better.

Um, one more thing… If you don’t have a ticket for the games and are not going to the arena, you don’t ride for free. The good news? It’s still a deal. An all day light rail pass will only cost most of you $3.50.

So, catch all of the action for the West Regional games during the 2012 NCAA Tournament in Phoenix. I am willing to BET you will have a GREAT time, “Rockin’ the Rail Life!”

View Light Rail Drinks in a larger map

Remember, the light rail line is “split” in Downtown Phoenix. You have different East and West bound stops for Us Airways Center. 3rd and Jefferson and 3rd and Washington are good places to get on and off for the arena.

Spring Training – Rail Life Style

Rail Life — Fri, 24 Feb 2012 03:31:12 +0000

Spring Training – Rail Life Style is a post from: Rail Life

Ah, spring is in the air… In Arizona, spring means baseball, hotdogs and ~~apple pie~~ beer on a nice sunny day.

Suppose you are a snowbird that has flown south to get out of that nasty cold and away from that strange white stuff that falls from the sky. Well, you’re in luck because I’ve got a few ideas and tips for you. First of all, if you are a baseball fan coming to the Valley, you can ditch the car this year and catch the action at Tempe Diablo Stadium via a FREE shuttle service courtesy of the Angels Spring Training Trolley.

Here’s the scoop…

Tempe is introducing the free Angels Baseball Spring Training Trolley, which will transport baseball fans to Tempe Diablo Stadium for each Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim home game. Beginning March 6 and continuing through April 1 on game days, fans will be picked up and dropped off at two locations in Tempe, the Mill Avenue District and Tempe Marketplace.

Here’s some suggestions…

1. Leave the car behind, use the Sky Harbor Shuttle
2. Find a great hotel close to the light rail line
3. Enjoy some Spring Training baseball
4. Grab a cold beer or two
5. Enjoy your stay in Sunny Arizona

Baseball fans from around the country can stay in a nice hotel, eat at some awesome restaurants, check out a bunch of great artsy fartsy stuff and even take a hike without ever turning the key of a car. I may be a bit of a transit geek, but it sounds like a cool vacation to me.

To get to the Spring Training shuttle / trolley from the light rail line, just exit at the Mill Avenue station and head south a couple of short blocks to 5th Street. See the light rail map below to get a good idea of the area.

The trolley will circulate between the Mill Avenue District and the stadium every 20 minutes from 11am until 30 minutes after the game on game days. Pick-Up/ Drop-Off at: Mill Avenue Stop – Northwest Corner of Mill Avenue and 5th Street (in front of Lotions & Potions) Look for the ‘Trolley Stop’ Sign

View Light Rail Drinks in a larger map

*Flickr Photo by the super-cool CWaterhouse*

Risser’s Ramblings – Sports Along the Line

Bill Risser — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 16:23:28 +0000

Risser’s Ramblings – Sports Along the Line is a post from: Rail Life

ASU football dominates today’s column…

The biggest story has to be Big Brock’s decision to leave ASU for the NFL. Personally, I think it’ s the right call. As Paula Boivin accurately stated in her Arizona Republic column this week, If he’s got to learn a new system next year, he might as well get paid for it…

Which leads us to Todd Graham. Love his enthusiasm. Can’t wait to see what he does with the Sun Devils. Not so in love with the way he left Pittsburgh… and Tulsa…and Rice…

Saguaro High School coach John Sanders wins his 4th state title in 5 years and gets canned this week. He upset a lot of people when he sat his starters the last game of the regular season against rival Chaparral. Rumor is that he is interviewing with Graham at ASU this week. This could be huge if it means Player of the Year Saguaro running back DJ Foster signs a letter of intent with the Devils…

The Suns have held five of their first seven opponents to under 100 and are ranked 10th in the league in defense. The Suns in the top ten in defense?? wow…

It was a nice win over USC in LA, but the Sun Devils basketball team struggles continue. No Jahii Carson, leading scorer sophomore Keala King has left the program, and Kyle Cain and Chris Colvin are indefinitely suspended…

For all you MLB fans, there are no sweeter words than “Arizona Diamondback pitchers and catchers report on February 20th, position players report on February 25th.” Just over 6 weeks away…

Today’s quiz: Who are Mike Bercovici, Taylor Kelly and Michael Eubank? Answer: The three QB’s that will battle for ASU’s starting job in 2012…

I’m sure the strike has a lot to do with my lack of excitement about the NBA season so far. Maybe after the SuperBowl…

Bill Risser, when not hard at work for Chicago Title, can be found at the movies with his wife or on the golf course with his son. He also has a fantasy sports problem, as he participates in 3 NFL leagues, an MLB league, a NASCAR league and a PGA Tour league. Follow him on Twitter –@billrisser

Risser’s Ramblings – Sports Along The Line

Bill Risser — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 17:48:33 +0000

Risser’s Ramblings – Sports Along The Line is a post from: Rail Life

It’s been a while since my last post, so let’s get caught up with the sports world along the line…

If the Diamondbacks run into October has left you wanting more action on the diamond, check out some potential future MLB superstars in the Arizona Fall League. The Phoenix Desert Dogs play at Phoenix Muni, and the season runs for another three weeks…

Speaking of the Dbacks, check out the great images in this AZCentral story about the history of Chase Field. Were you at any of these games?

Sun Devils football is back in the polls at 21 after a bye week. A banged up Colorado team visits on Saturday for homecoming…

So, right about now we should be discussing the Suns and whether or not Lopez should be kept or traded, or can Channing Frye continue his development into a force on the court, but instead, we listen to millionaires argue with other millionaires over billions of dollars…

ASU Men’s Basketball has had three twenty win seasons under Coach Herb Sendek in five years. ASU had three twenty win seasons in the 25 years prior to Sendek’s arrival…

The ASU Women’s basketball season under interim head coach Joseph Anders begins on 11/11/11 against UC Riverside. They play at noon right before the men (Montana St.) at 2:30pm. Doubleheader anyone?

The Diamondbacks have 6 players on the Salt River Rafters AFL team. Games are usually at 12:35, and with the weather hitting the perfect range, maybe we need to play a little hooky…

Rail Life Pic Of The Week – ASU Looking To Hop To It

Rail Life — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 04:42:03 +0000

Rail Life Pic Of The Week – ASU Looking To Hop To It is a post from: Rail Life

So, where is Jahii Carson? Sun Devil fans are beginning to hear rumors of all kinds when it comes to the highly recruited / highly anticipated “point guard of the future.”

This weekend’s scrimmage and the recent team photo shoot were held without Carson. We all know the kid has some amazing talent and can dang near jump out of the gym. He is as quick as a cat and has been pretty outspoken about his desire to be the home-town guy for the Devils. Waiting for an academic clearance appears to be the sticking point. While Carson did transfer high schools once in his career, that shouldn’t be a big deal. Some have said there could be an issue with a class he took online this summer at another school while playing for Team USA. With some luck, they can get the necessary information transferred, soon. Hopefully, the online class wasn’t taken at the same time he was on the court…

I saw Jahii play a couple of games for Mesa High last year and was impressed with his amazing natural abilities. I hope he has everything needed to get into class and get on the court for the Sun Devils this year. To me, his high school team didn’t appear to be the most disciplined team around. Having f bombs thrown at high school kids during time outs didn’t exactly seem to be what they needed. Maybe Sendek can mold this talented baller into something special.

Most Sun Devil fans haven’t seen much of Carson. Check out this video below. Not only can he jump like crazy, but he is lightning quick and has a good feel for the game.

Remember, Rail Life has a Phoenix Light Rail Group on Flickr. Basically, we want to share some of our pictures from the community and allow people to add their pics (or videos), as well. These can be light rail related, but we also want pics or videos of your favorite spot, restaurant, sports team, community, event etc.

Huge Slam – Committed Diamondback Fans

Rail Life — Wed, 05 Oct 2011 16:14:56 +0000

Huge Slam – Committed Diamondback Fans is a post from: Rail Life

The excitement of playoff baseball is hard to beat. Last night’s game at Chase Field absolutely lived up to the major league hype and the Dbacks came up BIG time for themselves and for the fans. While it was a great win by the entire team, the pitching of rookie Josh Collmenter and the electrifying GRAND SLAM from Paul Goldschmidt were worth well more than the price of admission.

The Slam:

With two outs in the bottom of the fifth inning the Brewers decided to have Shaun Marcum walk Miguel Montero and load the bases for Goldschmidt. The ensuing battle resulted in a blast that will be remembered around here for many years to come. For those of us lucky enough to be at the game, you could feel the excitement in the air. There was a feeling that Paul OWNED that spot, that the pitcher knew he was doomed. Fear of giving up the long ball with two outs was too much for Marcum to handle, and he was jacked by Goldschmidt. Needless to say, the place went nuts, textbook story line for playoff baseball.

The pic below shows 4 runs in the bottom of the 5th, blasted by #44. The Diamondbacks weren’t done yet and beat the Brewers 8-1.

Committed Fans:

I’m pretty sure the odds are hugely stacked against the Diamondbacks coming back from being down 0-2 to the Brewers, but I’m also pretty sure this team is used to low expectations. It seems like the fans are ready to do their part to help the team win at home. We have reports of fans coming from as far away as Yuma. Heck there was a mention of fans coming all the way from Norway to see the game yesterday. While Dean Ouellette of Chandler isn’t exactly coming from any crazy distance, he will be spending his 20th wedding anniversary at the game. No, he won’t be spending it with his wife, he will be cuddling up to a Diamond Dog, a few cold beers, and his buddy Kevin. I’m glad to hear that this productive dad ( with 5 kids ) has a loving wife that still says she is committed to their next 20 years. Hey, we’re Diamondback fans, this is the playoffs, it’s kind of a big deal. :)

So, if you are heading to Chase Field for some playoff baseball tonight, don’t forget these helpful tips…

Most of the 20 mile route contains 2 sets of tracks where the trains run next to each other. At each station, you simply board a train heading in your desired direction. For instance, many of the stations are built in the middle of the street. If you are boarding a train on Apache Boulevard, you will enter the station and the west bound train will pick you up on the north side of the station, while the east bound trains allow passengers to board on the south side of the station. However, in downtown Phoenix, the tracks split and form a single track for north/south and east/west trains.

The stop at 3rd St/Jefferson is right outside of Chase Field and US Airways Center. Most people know there is a light rail stop at 3rd St/Jefferson near Chase Field, but new light rail riders might not realize that this is an east bound train. No worries, you just need to know how to get around.

View Phoenix Valley METRO Light Rail in a larger map

If coming the North, you arrive right outside of the door at 3rd/Jefferson, but when going home you will walk about a block and a half to the 3rd St/Washington stop. The reverse is true for people coming from the East Valley. When coming to the game, exit at 3rd / Washington and head south to the ballpark…

Remember:

Purchase a light rail pass: For just $3.50 you can ride the light rail to and from Chase Field.

Park and Ride: All park and ride lots are FREE. If you don’t live near the light rail line, these lots are always a good bet and a great value.

Have some fun! Grab some grub before, during and after the game. Heck, this is playoff baseball, you deserve it! :)

View Light Rail Drinks in a larger map

Diamondbacks in 5!

Risser’s Ramblings – Sports Along the Line

Bill Risser — Fri, 19 Aug 2011 22:26:28 +0000

Risser’s Ramblings – Sports Along the Line is a post from: Rail Life

Think ASU linebacker Vontaze Burfict will be fun to watch? These guys do: Walter Camp Award, Bronco Nagurski Award, Lombardi Award, Butkus Award and the Bednarik Award. All have Vontaze on their pre-season watch lists… The latest holder of the title “Comeback Kids” has to be the Arizona Diamondbacks. After 124 games and 69 wins, 35 of those wins were come from behind… Great season but tough ending for the Rattlers. 73-70 loss on a TD with no time on the clock in the Championship Game … After the Georgetown men’s basketball team massive brawl in China, will locked out Suns or other NBA players still go there? Probably not. China announced today that only current free agents that would commit for the entire season in China can play… The Class of 2015 (my son included) had their big Fall welcome at Wells Fargo Arena this past week. Here’s a quick video of their Sun Devil spirit. Opening game is September 1st against UC Davis… After a rough start to their season, the Mercury took over sole possession of second place, just 4 games behind Minnesota with 10 games to play… A 2.5 game lead in late August means the D’Backs are going to make September (and hopefully October) fun for local baseball fans… A Raillife welcome to the new Men’s Golf Head Coach Tim Mickelson. Yep, little brother of ASU’s own Phil is now at the helm… I’ll be out of town, but you don’t want to miss the Black-Out against Missouri on Friday, September 9th at 7:30pm. Those black uni’s are way cool…

Rail Life Pic Of The Week – That’s A Wrap

Rail Life — Sun, 05 Jun 2011 16:41:48 +0000

Rail Life Pic Of The Week – That’s A Wrap is a post from: Rail Life

This past week, METRO unveiled a new 2011 MLB All Star Game wrap on one of their trains. Justin Upton and Luis Gonzalez were on hand to introduce the new look for the upcoming All Star Game. The train is wrapped on the outside and is also the first train to have graphics on the interior ceiling of the light rail cars.

Justin Upton and Luis Gonzalez love the train! :)

Interior shot of new METRO All Star game advertisements.

In the videos below, the Diamondback’s, Major League Baseball and METRO light rail are encouraging fans to use our trains during the 2011 MLB All Star Game festivities.

“I really encourage everyone to use METRO light rail during this event.”

METRO thanks MLB and says: "METRO is more than just this train, METRO is about getting people around town and we’re going to do a lot of that over the All Star weekend." Obviously, the trains will be taking people to and from their hotels near the light rail line, to places to grab some food or a beer along the line and to many of the sites and attractions that are anxiously awaiting some of the dollars that will be spent during the All Star game festivities.

Risser’s Ramblings – Sports Along the Line

Bill Risser — Tue, 17 May 2011 11:49:45 +0000

Risser’s Ramblings – Sports Along the Line is a post from: Rail Life

For the first time in school history, the PAC 10 Champion ASU softball team is awarded the No. 1 seed in the NCAA Division 1 Championships. First game is this Friday against North Dakota State at 5pm at Farrington Stadium. Fear the Fork… The DBacks come home after a 3-6 road trip. First up – San Diego on Tuesday at 6:40. Let’s see if some home cooking can get those bats heated up… Suns CEO and President Rick Welts revealed he is gay in a NY Times story on Sunday. One day, hopefully soon, this sort of news will be a non-story… Amy LePeilbet, who played soccer at ASU, has made the U.S. women’s World Cup soccer team… The Diamondbacks World Series championship season was really 10 years ago? wow… The 5 time national champion ASU baseball team, currently ranked 5th in the nation, wraps up the regular season this week. A hearing on the appeal of the 1 year post-season ban is today in Dallas. It probably will not affect the team this year if the ban is upheld, but it will in 2012… The Rattlers give up 10 points in the final 21 seconds to lose a heartbreaker to Chicago Saturday night. They are, however, 7-2 and still hold the top spot in the West… Vontaze Burfict, former Pac-10 Freshman defensive Player of the Year, was named Lindy’s pre-season National Defensive Player of the Year. The Devils defense is going to be a lot of fun to watch in 2011… Former ASU star James Harden is playing a big role in the Oklahoma City Thunder’s march to the Western Conference Finals. Nailed 4 treys in the Game 7 win against the Grizzlies… Saturday’s Dbacks win over the Dodgers was one for the record books. It was the first time in baseball history a team had allowed one hit, no earned runs, struck out 10 batters, and lost the game. Couldn’t happen to a better team…