Duke v SJU - who's going? DBR Meetup?

[duke74]

Anyone going to MSG for the game on the 25th? Sitting courtside in the SJU section (tix from a SJU alum buddy).

Blue in a sea of red. Hope I make it out ok. :)

I'm actually a prof at SJU so I kinda have a little red in me -- but not for this game of course!

[MPandolfi]

SJU Class of '03. Hoping to go, but not looking good. Either way I won't be cheering for the Johnnies that day!

[NovaScotian]

Blue in a sea of red. Hope I make it out ok. :)

oh, you'll be fine. as you likely know, the fans are all lovely folks (and i used to be one of 'em), as much as they like to see duke embarrassed. my first hand experience: before duke lost at msg in 2011, i was the only person in the entire stadium (~20,000 people) to raise my arms above my head for the "OH!" during the nation anthem (this is something we did in cameron before every game i ever attended, and i figured that many of the other alums in the stadium would join me - i was very wrong). though the sju fans in my section, turned and giggled, none took offense at what would have appeared to be a pretty offensive gesture.

[duke74]

oh, you'll be fine. as you likely know, the fans are all lovely folks (and i used to be one of 'em), as much as they like to see duke embarrassed. my first hand experience: before duke lost at msg in 2011, i was the only person in the entire stadium (~20,000 people) to raise my arms above my head for the "OH!" during the nation anthem (this is something we did in cameron before every game i ever attended, and i figured that many of the other alums in the stadium would join me - i was very wrong). though the sju fans in my section, turned and giggled, none took offense at what would have appeared to be a pretty offensive gesture.

I know. Was just being silly. I live in Queens, not far from campus and as noted above teach at SJU. I've attended most games at MSG between the schools...and ride the LIRR in from Forest Hills to Penn for them. I'm always outnumbered. I'll be with my son this time (T02), who is bigger than I am....so I'll feel safe.

I have however warned my students to be alert for a pop quiz if we lose. :). They're all fledgling accountants, but I think they know I'm just kidding.

[Kedsy]

I'll be there, with my son, brother, and nephew.

[OZZIE4DUKE]

I've attended most games at MSG between the schools...and ride the LIRR in from Forest Hills to Penn for them.

I won't be there. I used to ride that same train into the Garden from Great Neck, back in the day (late 60's, early 70's, going in to watch the Knicks (Reed, Frazier, Barnett (later replaced by Earl the Pearl Monroe), Bradley and Debusscher, Cazzie Russell off the bench. Phil Jackson was a seldom used, oft injured, sub) and Rangers (Jean Ratelle, Vic Hadfield and Rod Gilbert on the first line, Walt Tkaczuk, Dave Balon and Billy Fairburn on the second line, Brad Park on the back line and, of course, Eddie Giacomin in the net!) Ah, those were the days! :cool:

[superdave]

Lower level seats are just over $100.

http://www.ticketmaster.com/st-johns-red-storm-mens-basketball-new-york-new-york-01-25-2015/event/1D004D41C40529FA

I am tempted to take the bus up from DC and go. Too bad it would be a long day at work the next day. (I sound old)

[duke74]

After tonight, hopefully a celebration of K's K.

[Utley]

I have tix if anyone wants to try to connect before hand. I'm hoping for a special afternoon. While its a road game - its our home away from home - much better than at ND or at UVA.

[throatybeard]

I'm actually a prof at SJU so I kinda have a little red in me

Now that a lot of GPs have in-house lab work done, your doctor can probably assess your kidney function swiftly.

[AIRFORCEDUKIE]

Now that a lot of GPs have in-house lab work done, your doctor can probably assess your kidney function swiftly.

I was actually considering flying in with a Lady friend of mine and spending the weekend and going to the game. I fear plane tix, hotel stay, and game tix may be a bit pricey though. But, I am going to start doing research now see if I can pull it off for under $1500. Ugh and I have the Heat and OKC game to go to tonight, that's another expense, so my entertainment budget for the next month will pretty much be taken up. Maybe I will just stay home and save up for the ACC Tourney.

[CrazyNotCrazie]

I bought tix through Duke and I'm taking my son to his first Duke game - he is very excited. I have gone to several Duke-St. John's games in the past. If I recall, there is a lot of peripheral noise from music, a DJ-type person who encouraged the crowd, and everything else.

[throatybeard]

I was actually considering flying in with a Lady friend of mine and spending the weekend and going to the game. I fear plane tix, hotel stay, and game tix may be a bit pricey though. But, I am going to start doing research now see if I can pull it off for under $1500. Ugh and I have the Heat and OKC game to go to tonight, that's another expense, so my entertainment budget for the next month will pretty much be taken up. Maybe I will just stay home and save up for the ACC Tourney.

I manage to get to NYC approximately once every eighteen months or so, almost always to attend something at Lincoln Center, and I have some money-saving tactics.

1) I may be 38, hypertensive, crabby, and busted, but I'm not above sleeping on the futons of graduate students who live a twenty-minute walk from the F/V.

2) Barring that, the Riverside Tower near the 79th Street 1/2 stop. Frequently in the vicinity of $125, which by Manhattan standards is about what you'd pay simply to stand at the corner of Broadway and 42nd street for seventeen minutes.

3) I get some meals from Zabar's rather than a restaurant. Like a breakfast sandwich and a piece of fruit, or something. There's one...wait for it...near that same subway hole.

4) Duke alumni and other middle class people treat me like I'm an insane member of a leper colony when I mention this, but I take transit into Manhattan for $2.50 rather than paying $55 for a cab. Airtrain and A/C from JFK, M60 bus to any of several subway lines on 125th from LGA. The former takes about 90 minutes depending on where you're going, and the latter only about an hour. A $20 MTA card ought to cover you for a whole weekend. I vastly prefer LGA.

5) I limit hotel/futon nights by flying in on the pre-dawn flight from STL and leaving on the twilight one from LGA the next day. This means that I'm basically there for two full days while spending only one night.

6) I wear the same jeans two days in a row and throw a change of underwear and socks in my bookbag with the Kindle. This way I don't have much junk to haul all over the city. This does restrict you from peeing your pants.

7) I know people who know dive bars, if you want to get lit. The main thing seems to be to go to bars that aren't staffed by women who look like Miss Russia 2009.

All of this has allowed me to start buying Met seats from which you can actually see the opera, instead of being duct taped to the gold ceiling.

[daveduke76]

Lower level seats are just over $100.

http://www.ticketmaster.com/st-johns-red-storm-mens-basketball-new-york-new-york-01-25-2015/event/1D004D41C40529FA

I am tempted to take the bus up from DC and go. Too bad it would be a long day at work the next day. (I sound old)

Dang, I was thinking I should have bought the tickets last week, looks like I was right. The worst seats are now over $250 each, hmmmm

[AIRFORCEDUKIE]

Dang, I was thinking I should have bought the tickets last week, looks like I was right. The worst seats are now over $250 each, hmmmm

Well despite Throatybeards epic cost saving advice, this news pretty much does it for me. No way I am going to be able to make it with $250 seats. Guess I will start saving up for the ACC Tourney!!! which will probably be much more fun anyway.

[daveduke76]

Well despite Throatybeards epic cost saving advice, this news pretty much does it for me. No way I am going to be able to make it with $250 seats. Guess I will start saving up for the ACC Tourney!!! which will probably be much more fun anyway.

I waited until the day before the UConn Duke game and the prices came down a fair amount, ended up 3 rows behind the announcers table, basically courtside, I doubt the tickets for this game will come down that much, but you can always hope! GoDuke!

[Kedsy]

I doubt the tickets for this game will come down that much, but you can always hope! GoDuke!

In light of the possibility of Coach K's 1000th win, it's hard to imagine the prices going down at all.

[freshmanjs]

In light of the possibility of Coach K's 1000th win, it's hard to imagine the prices going down at all.

if one is willing to wait til just after tip-off, there will be cheap tix available outside msg

[duke74]

Now that a lot of GPs have in-house lab work done, your doctor can probably assess your kidney function swiftly.

Funny :)

[duke74]

All of this has allowed me to start buying Met seats from which you can actually see the opera, instead of being duct taped to the gold ceiling.

Good to see that you've seen the light and moved from those Cards to my Mets. ;)

[rasputin]

Good to see that you've seen the light and moved from those Cards to my Mets. ;)

They have gold ceilings at Citi? No wonder the tix are so expensive.

[duke74]

They have gold ceilings at Citi? No wonder the tix are so expensive.

Maybe spending there...Wilpons certainly not spending on players. (BRW, Fred now Chair of MLB Finance committee...really?)

[throatybeard]

New York's National League franchise is frequently so irrelevant that I forget it exists. Except when Larry Wayne Jones is naming children after it.

[duke74]

New York's National League franchise is frequently so irrelevant that I forget it exists. Except when Larry Wayne Jones is naming children after it.

Actually, to be accurate, he named his kid after the late, lamented Shea Stadium, not the franchise. Perhaps your mis-recollection is due to our being so irrelevant.

[Reisen]

For anyone thinking about it, this is a perfect time of year to go to NYC, as hotel prices are rock bottom. I live in Virginia but spend 50 nights a year in NYC hotels.

For example, staying Saturday and Sunday nights, I'm seeing the Grand Hyatt for $160 a night, the Times Square W for $171, Times Square Westin for $161, and the Waldorf Astoria for $194 a night.

If you go to Priceline's Express deals, you can get a 4 star hotel in a variety of Manhattan neighborhoods for under $100 a night right now.

New York has plenty of reasonably priced, excellent food, especially if you enjoy ethnic.

If you're going to drive, I recommend parking in Jersey City, near Exchange Place. There are lots of garages where you'll pay around $22-$26 a night. Pack light, and take the PATH into Manhattan.

[daveduke76]

For anyone thinking about it, this is a perfect time of year to go to NYC, as hotel prices are rock bottom. I live in Virginia but spend 50 nights a year in NYC hotels.

For example, staying Saturday and Sunday nights, I'm seeing the Grand Hyatt for $160 a night, the Times Square W for $171, Times Square Westin for $161, and the Waldorf Astoria for $194 a night.

If you go to Priceline's Express deals, you can get a 4 star hotel in a variety of Manhattan neighborhoods for under $100 a night right now.

New York has plenty of reasonably priced, excellent food, especially if you enjoy ethnic.

If you're going to drive, I recommend parking in Jersey City, near Exchange Place. There are lots of garages where you'll pay around $22-$26 a night. Pack light, and take the PATH into Manhattan.

I've been tracking this a bit and prices seem to be coming down a bit. Does anyone know which end will be the Duke end, which end the band will be in - I'm looking on Stubhub and it could be on the right side, section 2, or the left, section 8

Thanks
Dave

[daveduke76]

I've been tracking this a bit and prices seem to be coming down a bit. Does anyone know which end will be the Duke end, which end the band will be in - I'm looking on Stubhub and it could be on the right side, section 2, or the left, section 8

Thanks
Dave

Here's a link to the stubhub site -
http://www.stubhub.com/st-johns-basketball-tickets/st-johns-vs-duke-1-25-2015-9130616/

[DU82]

I've been tracking this a bit and prices seem to be coming down a bit. Does anyone know which end will be the Duke end, which end the band will be in - I'm looking on Stubhub and it could be on the right side, section 2, or the left, section 8

Thanks
Dave

It is a St. Johns home game, not a neutral site. No DUMB alumni band. Look on the Johnnies web site and there's probably a seating chart.