FromThisSeat Blog

 

Welcome to the FromThisSeat Blog.

Here our editors will bring you plenty of news coverage on tickets, ballparks, stadiums and arenas as they pertain to the NFL, NHL, MLB and NBA.  If you have any questions or suggestions pertaining to the articles, feel free to 'Contact Us' via the navigation bar.

Photo of obstructed view seats at Citi Field. Home of the New York Mets.

Image Credit: Bari D (CC BY-ND 2.0)

Purchasing tickets to your favorite event isn't always fail proof. Thousands of ticket transactions happen every single day a game is played. Mistakes are often made and it isn't always your fault. Below are the most common mistakes made when purchasing tickets to your favorite event and our advice on how to resolve the situation. 

Action photo of the Chicago Bulls versus the Philadelphia 76ers. 

Image Credit: Philadelphia 76ers (CC BY-ND 2.0)

The NBA has definitely seen it's share of bad nicknames over the years; especially before it merged with the ABA. Who would have guessed that Utah isn't known for it's Jazz and Grizzly bears aren't native to Memphis, Tennessee? However, we wanted to touch base and document how all 30 NBA teams came up with their nickname for everyone's enjoyment.

Photo of the St. Louis Blues versus the Columbus Blue Jackets at the Enterprise Center. 

Image Credit: Dave Herholz (CC BY-SA 2.0)

The NHL has a lot more history than the rest of the sports world gives it credit for and hockey had decades of history before the NHL was even founded. With the NHL's rapidly growing popularity in the United States, we thought it would be cool to include a brief history on how all 30 NHL teams came up with their nicknames. Enjoy!

Photo of New York Jets players during the national anthem before kickoff. 

Image Credit: KA Sports Photos (CC BY-SA 2.0)

Why are the San Francisco 49ers called the 49ers? What is a Packer? Don't lie. As big and popular as the National Football League is, few fans know the origins of even the team they cheer for. Well let us put an end to all of that ignorance. We did some research and here is how all 32 NFL teams got their nickname. Enjoy!

Photo of Baltimore Orioles players during the national anthem at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. 

Image Credit: Navin75 (CC BY-SA 2.0)

As devout as Major League Baseball fans are, we would guess that 70% of fans don't know the history of their team's nickname. We knew my favorite team's history (Cincinnati Reds) but not to the extent that we had expected. From This Seat did some research as to how all 30 Major League Baseball teams arrived at their nickname. Keep in mind that many of these are legend and that there are conflicting stories but the ones listed are by wide consensus. Enjoy!

Photo of NFL wide receiver Steve Smith signing autographs for young fans. 

Image Credit: Fort George G. Meade (CC BY 2.0)

Due to our elaborate list of hotels that teams stay in while on the road, we get all kinds of questions from autograph seekers. We thought it would be helpful to give advice to sports fans on how they could meet their favorite athlete in person. I can promise you that no one is as inaccessible as you might imagine.

Photo of quarterback Andy Dalton of the Cincinnati Bengals completing a pass versus the Washington Redskins.

Image Credit: KA Sports Photos (CC BY-SA 2.0)

Only three teams in the National Football League have made the NFL playoffs the past four consecutive seasons; the New England Patriots, Green Bay Packers and Cincinnati Bengals. Two of those three teams won Super Bowls in that time span. In fact, the Cincinnati Bengals haven't won a playoff game in 25 years and are in 0-6 in the playoffs since Marvin Lewis took the reigns. Both Lewis and Andy Dalton are taking the most flack for the Bengals lack of success come January while Bengals owner Mike Brown lurks behind the scenes.

Photo of Tom Brady of the New England Patriots during a game versus the Denver Broncos. 

Image Credit: Todd Shoemake (CC BY 2.0)

If you're like me, you've recently become annoyed with all of the media and corporate hoopla surrounding the Super Bowl. I thought it would be nice to take a look back at some of the good ole' days of the NFL and the top ten players to ever play in the league. See if you agree with our list.

Photo of a deflated football.

Image Credit: Frankie Leon (CC BY 2.0)

Sure, Bill Belichick and the New England Patriots have been in question before concerning cheating. But when a team comes out on top 45-7, does it really matter?

Photo of the right field entrance at Angel Stadium of Anaheim. Home of the Los Angeles Angels. 

Image Credit: Ken Lund (CC BY-SA 2.0)

There are tons of review websites out there like Yelp and TripAdvisor. Tons of websites where you can see the view from your section. We wanted to give baseball fans the opportunity to briefly peak inside all 30 Major League Ballparks via Youtube. Many of the videos we have compiled will show you what the concourses are like, what the crowd flow is like and also what the game day atmosphere is like! Some of the videos are brief, some are long, some are better than others. Go see these ballparks for yourself! Enjoy!

Photo of a Nike EYBL summer game. 

AAU basketball or grassroots basketball at the prep level is vastly different today than it was 20 years ago. Shoe companies like Nike and Adidas have very big hands in the organization and why wouldn't they? They want other young athletes buying and wearing their products. AAU basketball gives college coaches the opportunity to see would be recruits collectively in one location throughout the summer. It's all about exposure and these kids have become marketable commodities. The style of play often resembles that of an All-Star game with not much defense and plenty of ball hogging. There are also those parents and AAU coaches who have developed reputations as not having the best interests at heart for their players. It's a different world alright. 

Photo of Detroit Red Wings fans in the stands at Joe Louis Arena.

Image Credit: JPowers65-Flickr (CC BY-ND 2.0)

Despite the 24 Stanley Cups won by the Montreal Canadiens, the history and passion of the Detroit Red Wings fans is on par with Montreal's. Hey, they don't call Detroit, Michigan "Hockeytown USA" for nothing. The Red Wings have won an impressive 11 Stanley Cups, good for third in the NHL all-time. But the Detroit Red Wings fan base most well known for a wacky tradition.

Photo of baseball fans taking a group photo at Wrigley Field in Chicago, Illinois. 

Image Credit: BluEyedA73-Flickr (CC BY 2.0)

We all have our allegiances when it comes to watching professional sports. Bandwagon fans are inevitable; it just takes a few competitive seasons to bring them out of the woodwork. However, there are some fan bases that are just as classic and timeless as the teams that they root for. See if your favorite team made our list of the most passionate fan bases in in the NFL, NHL, NBA and MLB.

Photo of a yellow Green Bay Packers helmet.

Image Credit: Phil Roeder (CC BY 2.0)

The Green Bay Packers are perhaps the most storied franchise in the National Football League despite what Chicago Bears, Dallas Cowboys and Pittsburgh Steelers fans may tell you. The origins of the iconic "G" on their helmet recently generated a lot of discussion after a Tiki Barber interview with Green Bay Packers players at Super Bowl XLV. So what does the "G" on the Packers helmet stand for if it doesn't stand for "Green Bay"?

Photo of Carolina Panthers football fans walking outside of Bank of America Stadium.

Image Credit: James Willamor (CC BY-SA 2.0)

When the average football fan hears the phrase "Keep Pounding", they probably think of it as a reference to the Carolina Panthers' running game. Actually, the term has deep meaning and pays tribute to former Panthers linebacker Sam Mills Jr. But what does it mean? Sam Mills Jr. battled adversity his entire life. Many times Mills was told that he was too small to play in the NFL. We all soon found out that Mills had more fight and determination in him than anyone both on the field and off the field. 

Photo of the basketball court at the Barclays Center during a Brooklyn Nets game. 

Image Credit: Erik Cleves Kristenson (CC BY 2.0)

While many NBA fans don't share the same fascination with their league's venues as Major League Baseball fans do, there are still plenty of cool venues to visit throughout the NBA's 28 cities. The rule of thumb in professional basketball seems to be that the larger the arena, the more history the team has, the higher the demand for their tickets. We've compiled a list of the ten largest arenas in the NBA today.

Photo of basketball fans cheering during a Memphis Grizzlies game at FedexForum. 

Image Credit: Sean Davis (CC BY-ND 2.0)

The 'Fan Cost Index' is the amount of money a family of four could expect to spend at an NBA game. It fluctuates from season to season, varies by team and city and is calculated from a number of factors. First, you take the price of 4 average-priced NBA season tickets, the two cheapest draft beers, the four cheapest soft drinks, four regular sized hot dogs, parking for one car, two game programs and two adult hats from the team's gift shop. Add all of those numbers together and you've got yourself the total fan cost index. 

Photo of a game between the Milwaukee Bucks versus the Denver Nuggets. 

Image Credit: Jeramey Jannene (CC BY 2.0)

The 'Fan Cost Index' is the amount of money a family of four could expect to spend at an NBA game. It fluctuates from season to season, varies by team and city and is calculated from a number of factors. First, you take the price of 4 average-priced NBA season tickets, the two cheapest draft beers, the four cheapest soft drinks, four regular sized hot dogs, parking for one car, two game programs and two adult hats from the team's gift shop. Add all of those numbers together and you've got yourself the total fan cost index. 

Photo of James Harden of the Houston Rockets and Lebron James of the Cleveland Cavaliers. 

Image Credit: Erik Drost (CC BY 2.0)

The glory days of the NBA may have surpassed but that doesn't mean us fans can't reminisce on our favorite players growing up. We have compiled a list of our top ten greatest NBA players of all time. Our exact ordering may upset some people but these ten players are unanimously the greatest players the game has ever seen.

Photo of Jay Cutler of the Chicago Bears dropping back to complete a pass versus the Green Bay Packers.

Image Credit: Mike Morbeck (CC BY-SA 2.0)

America loves their Dallas Cowboys. But aside from the Green Bay Packers, virtually no other NFL franchise can rival the Chicago Bears in terms of overall history. Once called the Decatur Staleys in 1920, the Chicago Bears have retired 14 jersey numbers; the most in the NFL and the third most in professional sports. While this is the ultimate tribute to the club's former players, a more significant tribute has been worn on the sleeves of the Chicago Bears' uniforms for 30 seasons now. 

Photo of New Orleans Saints fans celebrating on Bourbon Street in New Orleans, Louisiana.

Image Credit: Wikimedia Commons

The chant "Who Dat" has been in circulation throughout the Southern United States for many years, some say even before New Orleans had an NFL franchise (1967). Many people reference the two words in poems, minstrel shows and even on an old jazz record. Others reference St. Augustine High School, LSU and Alcorn State University as the true creators. After all, that's how people in places like Louisiana talk, right? However, the most widely accepted time frame for the chant's creation was in October of 1983 following a loss to the San Francisco 49ers