MH Notes from Omaha (Day 1and 2)

We are just closing down the second of our two days in Omaha at the 2008 College World Series and it has been a remarkable experience for us all, and the first game for Gavin and Fresno State is not even until tomorrow. Truth be told, Omaha is not as bad as its reputation, even though there are way too many Cornhusker fans here. The people everywhere are incredible and they really open up the city for this event -- it is incredible. I wanted to share some of our thoughts and experiences since I am still not able, even at 1230 at night, to wipe the smile off my face:

> Weather has been warm and clear, with some thunderstorms predicted early in the week
> We are at team hotel and it is decked out for the Fresno State Bulldogs, including hats and shirts being worn by workers -- even team bus is red
> The crowds around the stadium are unbelievable and parking is generally in the front yards of houses in the neighborhood
> There are vendors and tents everywhere and they sell everything with the CWS logos and every team logo here -- we will need another suitcase to bring it all home
> When Karen saw all the "stuff" in the first tent with Bulldog logos, all next to Miami / Stanford / UNC / Florida State, she broke down and cried (for happy)
> On Friday, we went over to the stadium and met the team bus arriving at about 1PM for their only on-field practice -- all the teams got 90 scheduled minutes one right after the other
> Team pics in front of Rosenblatt were first and the guys were mobbed (literally) by fans
> There seem to be an incredible number of 18-22 year old girls here -- not coincidental I am sure
> Constant autograph requests and pictures with fans from everywhere
> Practice started (open to the public) and there were at least 5000 people in attendance -- no joke -- autograph requests continued by hundreds of kids and girls behind the dugout
> Coach surprised us by walking over to us in the front row and telling Kenan to hurry up and jump over the dugout and get on the field with them for practice -- our 10-year old was on Rosenblatt field for over an hour shagging balls in outfield and hanging with his brother -- this was a special time and Kenan was flying
> After practice, they got a "no betting on baseball" lecture from the NCAA and then came up for a one-hour autograph session -- team sat at a long table and signed until the last of what I am sure was almost 1000 fans came through
> Opening Ceremonies began with BBQ dinner and concert for the all players on Friday night -- we found Gavin, and Jack Rye was not too far away so they spent some time chatting -- pretty cool....
> Ceremony included a parade into the stadium by each of the teams which reminded us very much of the Olympics -- videos played in the background showed the teams in action and Gavin's grand slam kept playing in the background over and over again as they marched in
> Ceremony (30,000 people there) ended in the most incredible fireworks display we have ever seen -- it made Big Bang Friday at the Angels look like sparklers in your front yard.
> Saturday was pretty quiet with a 11AM practice -- I guess Kenan did pretty well the day before because Coach grabbed him and put him on the bus with the boys and took him on the bus to practice with them! Gavin and Kenan both loved it!
> Dinner tonite at Gorats which is Warren Buffet's favorite restaurant in town -- it was a step back in time and the second best steak I have had in the last 5 years (first best was last night)
> Boys appear to be very loose and just seem used to their now fourth weekend in a row on the road.

We are getting ready for tomorrow's fun and God only knows what is in store for us all. Karen came up with the slogan "UNDERDOGS TO WONDERDOGS" and had it made into T-shirts -- everybody here seems to love it and we have handed out 6 dozen to Bulldog fans. It is such an accurate description of where we have come from this season -- look for us in the stands.

Happy Fathers' Day to all of you -- this will be one of the most enjoyable ones I could ever imagine!