To The Celtics

That night, after checking into the hotel,  I headed to a Celtics game after picking up some last minute tickets.

The TD Arena is quite simply fantastic.

 Pretty easy to navigate, it is a very nice sporting venue.  TD Garden is clean, well laid out, and with lots of interesting food vendors beyond your typical hot dogs, a full on bar inside and quality beers for sale including lots of their hometown Sam Adams brews. 

Suitably victualed (yes with a hot dog, Boston style), I headed to my seat.

A very cool and very green light show opened the game.

The Celtics entered to thunderous applause and some fiery excitement.

 They were playing the Milwaukee Bucks, and for the most part the Celtics held the lead early in the game. But, the Bucks woke up a bit in the second half to tie the game, only to lose to the Celtics in the end with a score of 109-102.

 

The home team crowd was happy, and we all filtered out of the arena.  Took the subway back to the hotel which was very easy to use. Then walked about a bit over a half mile back to the hotel.

Downside was my map software took me into the alleyway behind the hotel and there was no back entrance and all the buildings were adjoining each other on the block, so I had to walk all the way around to get to the front and enter. A few extra steps, there.

A good end to the first day there. 

Saturday Sportsball Day

I got an invite to a tailgate at MSU on Saturday to watch them play Boston College.

So I met up with friends, and drove to East Lansing for the tailgate.

Passed by many places I remembered including my old place of employment. 

Got to the parking lot and parked the car, then walked to where the tailgate was held around 3:30.
 

 Everybody was in their best Greens and Whites for the game.

The tailgate had it all, food, beverages, and Sparty. 

Yes, the amazing fellow running the tailgate didn't just have music, he also had a TV to broadcast sports over the internet during the tailgate.  Rather cool. This tailgate had it all.

So, a lot of fun was had, chatted with quite a few people, ate some great food and drank some pre-game libations. I brought 100 doughnut holes as a contribution as that was on the sign-up list.

Then we helped close up the tailgate and get ready to go see the game set to start at 7:30.

I got some tickets on the 45-yard line in Seciton 9, for not too much, and they turned out to be pretty great seats except for two drunken young men right behind us that didn't just have outdoor voices, they had no setting but yelling at the top of their lungs the entire flipping game  You know you have the right to remain silent - these two lacked the ability for that completely.

Everyone else in the area was having a good time and enthusiastic and loud at the appropriate times.  There was one Boston College fan right in the row in front of us, and he was a good sport, and gave as good a ribbing as he got, and everyone was friendly and fun about it.

 The marching band began the opening festivities.

 Then the game was one.

Michigan got the first touchdown and easily made the extra point. 

 

For the touchdown and subsequent MSU touchdowns, fireworks went off in appropriate colors.
 

It was a nail-biter of a game finally going into overtime and then double overtime.

MSU won in double overtime with a 2 point conversion, 42-40.

 It was fun to watch live with friends.  It was a heckuva long game though. Then we along with the crowds headed out and I finally got home after 2 am.

 I managed to get to sleep and then sleep in a bit until 8am before my next weekend adventure on Sunday.