
This backstory for this game is a bit of a doozy to explain, so I’ll start with the "short and easy" part:

### The ECHL

Long story short: the ECHL (yes, that is the league's official name; it was formerly the East Coast Hockey League) is to the NHL what Double-A is to Major League Baseball. However, if you recall me mentioning the first time I discussed the [AHL](2025-10-06_lhvphantoms) (i.e. the Triple-A league) that few players from the AHL go on to have notable NHL careers, that is even more the case with the ECHL, where fewer than 1,000 players have ever played an NHL game - with most of the notable ones being goaltenders. It should be noted, however, that the league was "only" established in 1988, and unlike the AHL (which has 32 teams and every team has a one-to-one relationship with an NHL club), there are currently 30 teams in the ECHL (though the league is expanding soon), and one team is fully independent (i.e. they have no NHL/AHL affiliation whatsoever, thus three NHL teams do not currently have ECHL affiliates[^1]).

One fun fact about the ECHL: its headquarters are located in Shrewsbury, New Jersey - a town close to the Jersey Shore. However, about 50 miles away from Shrewsbury, we find where this game took place: Trenton, New Jersey - the state's capital city.

### Remember the Titans

If you are a LONG time reader of this blog, you may remember me visiting a junior hockey team called the [New Jersey Titans](2025-09-14_njtitans) last fall. My thinking when I was looking into visiting them was that they were named after the old ECHL team that folded, but that turned out to be untrue: that organization has been around since the Trenton Titans were established in 1999. Of course, this post isn’t about them, so let’s get back to Trenton[^2].

The ECHL Titans were originally affiliated with the Philadelphia Flyers (and also the New York Islanders, since this was before the ECHL moved towards one-to-one affiliations). Coincidentally, just like the [Phantoms](2025-10-06_lhvphantoms) (the Flyers’ AHL affiliate), they won a league title during the 2004-05 season (aka the season of the NHL lockout).

In 2006, the team was sold to New Jersey Devils ownership, and they renamed the team the Trenton Devils. This was controversial, as Trenton is MUCH closer to Philadelphia than Newark (part of why the Devils/Flyers rivalry is so intense: the lines are MUCH MORE blurred - especially in Central Jersey). The team ended up floundering under Devils ownership - to the point where in 2011, it was announced that the team would be disbanded[^3]. However, the ECHL stepped in and saved the team - finding new owners who restored both the Titans name and Flyers affiliation. However, financial issues arose once again, and in 2013, the ECHL announced that the Trenton Titans were no more.

### The Franchise

Now, let’s move onto the team that’s actually the subject of this post.

The team that is now in Trenton has moved around QUITE A LOT since it was founded in 1981 as a member of a league called the Central Hockey League (which is quite old by ECHL standards - especially when you consider that the ECHL itself was founded in 1988)[^4], but in 2005, it landed in West Valley City, Utah (a suburb of Salt Lake City) as a continuation of the Utah Grizzlies - an AHL team that was established in Denver, moved to Utah when the Avalanche came to town, and eventually relocated to Cleveland, OH[^5].

The ECHL Grizzlies were...not all that successful: while they were a relatively consistent playoff attendee, they only won their division one time, only made it as far as the conference finals (twice), and lost more first round series than they won. Speculation about the future of the team grew in 2024 with the “sudden” arrival of the NHL in Salt Lake City (because even Gary Bettman’s dogged determination to make Phoenix work as an NHL market had its limits). While the franchise ended up continuing on (as an affiliate of the Colorado Avalanche), the team’s president/owner died suddenly in March of 2025, and his family indicated that they would sell the team. In July of that year, they did - to a group of investors from Trenton, NJ. The Grizzlies played one final season in 2025-26, and then made the cross-country move - restoring affiliated hockey to Trenton for the first time since the demise of the Titans in 2013 (and affiliated ANYTHING since the [Trenton Thunder](2025-08-15_trethunder) were "kicked out" of the Eastern League in 2020).

In January of 2026, the team revealed their new name: the Trenton Ironhawks. A few months later, it was announced that they would be replacing the [Worcester Railers](2026-10-17_dcucenter) as the ECHL affiliate of the New York Islanders, which is a little odd but "decently workable" (partially as avoids any controversies about being affiliated with the Flyers, Devils, or...Rangers).

### The CURE

So now that all of the “moving” parts of this story have been established, let’s talk about the part that hasn’t moved (because it’s a building): the arena.

![An image of CURE Insurance Arena](/images/2026/1024-curearena.jpeg)

The building currently known as CURE Insurance Arena was opened in 1999 - the same year the Titans were established. In addition to minor league hockey, the building has hosted basketball (such as a “neutral site” Princeton/St. Joseph’s game last year), wrestling (something which is actually kinda big in New Jersey from what I’ve heard), and (from what I can tell) is one of the few buildings in the world that can say it has hosted a <a href=”https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Professional_Box_Lacrosse_Association” target=”blank”>Professional Box Lacrosse Association</a> game.

To be FULLY honest, I don't really feel like there's much to say about the arena itself. There's a main concourse that fully wraps around the seating bowl (which, it should be noted, goes both above and below), as well as an upper "concourse" that serves the upper parts of the seating bowl as well as the arena's suites. Speaking of the seating bowl, it must be noted that the lower seating bowl does not fully encircle the ice; seats at one end of the ice are folded up and inaccessible, and it appears that there's a premium area with bar tables here (though indications are this didn't used to be the case).

One thing for those scared of loud noises: much like most hockey arenas in North America (save for about 3/5 of the ones on this blog somehow[^6]), there's a horn that sounds after the team scores. However, it seemed like it had been adjusted between the club hockey game and now, as it was decently "powerful" during the club hockey game but not so much here (though there are a few factors as to why this might be). Also, I forgot to mention this last time, but TCNJ seemingly brought their own recording of a horn for the club hockey game, as I checked their other games at their "normal" home and they featured the same sound/song (though whether or not _that_ horn is real is a different question altogether).

### Rise of the Ironhawks

![An image of a puck featuring the matchup for this game](/images/2026/1024-matchuppuck-tre.jpeg)

This trip has more or less been on my radar since rumors came out that the team was moving to Trenton (similar to how my trip to [Bridgeport](2026-01-12_bptislanders) was born out of rumors of _their_ move). As soon as the team announced their schedule in May, I immediately put this game on my calendar as it's the team's HOME DEBUT (they had a few away games last weekend).

Given that, it should come as no surprise that I had originally planned for this to be my first visit to the arena, but few weeks before this game, the Ironhawks hosted an "open house" which featured a [club hockey](2026-10-03_clubhockey) game. My original plan (once I decided that I wanted to check out the open house) was to use it to "scout" various sections prior to getting my ticket for this game (as tickets were still fairly available), but a few days before the open house, the team announced a "mystery ticket deal": for $20, you'd get a mystery seat in an "unknown location". Given that this was still less than the least expensive box office tickets, I figured I'd give it a go, and I pulled THIS:

![An image of the opening faceoff of a hockey game](/images/2026/1024-mysteryseat.jpeg)

This game was preceded by an outdoor plaza party which I ended up missing due to me having to travel up from Philadelphia IMMEDIATELY after [the Flyers game](2026-10-24_phiflyers) (it took me about 40 minutes to get from arena to arena, and I got to Trenton about 20 minutes before the arena doors opened). Much like that Flyers game, this game was very, VERY scrappy: Trenton ended up winning 4-1, but before they could celebrate their first home win (and first win in the ECHL), a LINE BRAWL (i.e. when all the players on the ice start fighting each other) broke out right as the clock hit 0:00 (after several incidents earlier in the game - including one about eleven seconds prior to the end of game line brawl). Also, in what can only be described as a WILD coincidence, this is the second ECHL game I've been to, and both featured the same result: the Islanders' ECHL team defeating the Adirondack Thunder (the Devils' ECHL affiliate[^7]).

<div id="merch" />

### MERCH

If there's one thing this ownership group knows how to do, it's push merchandise - something they seemingly did quite a bit of in the months after revealing their name/logo. However, I can't exactly say I was interested until they unveiled their jerseys, which happened in mid-September.

It is here that I do need to confess something: the BIG reason I went to the open house event was because it was the first in-person opportunity to buy the new jerseys (which were the only things available that night[^8]). Given how late in the offseason the reveal was (it was already September), I felt that I'd rather not "chance" waiting for this game if I wanted a jersey (not to mention the fact that I almost wasn't able to go). I'm going to lean on the side of this idea being prudent, as at that event, the box of jerseys in the size I typically get looked pretty empty by the time they packed up...

At this game, the outdoor plaza SUPPOSEDLY had merchandise available, but I didn't see anything (though again, I arrived pretty late). Inside the arena, there were three separate areas where items were available: one had just jerseys (akin to the club hockey game), another had special inaugural season shirts, and the third was the main store with just about everything else. The latter two had a commemorative puck featuring the date and matchup for this game (i.e.), and just like the Flyers matchup puck, this one sold out (or at least I'm pretty sure it did, as I checked midway through the game and saw none available).

Also, I got THIS after the game while waiting for the crowds heading for the exits to subside:

![An image of a Trenton Ironhawks Official Game Puck](/images/2026/1024-gamepuck.jpeg)

This is one of the pucks that was prepared for the game, but never used. They're kept in a cooler during the game (I forget why pucks are frozen), and one of the staffers responsible for giving pucks to the referees when necessary threw these into the crowd after the game. The Ironhawks have a "replica" version of this available at their team store that I ALMOST got before realizing it was just a replica.

---

[^1]: Those three teams being the Buffalo Sabres, Utah Mammoth, and New York Rangers - which explains why I saw something about them loaning a player to the Worcester Railers as opposed to sending him to their nonexistent ECHL affiliate.

[^2]: I didn't realize this until recently, but the "Titans" name is surprisingly common amongst [NJ/NYC area teams](2026-07-12_mlquadball).

[^3]: One thing you should know about the Devils: they were notorious for burning through MULTIPLE AHL markets (mainly in the Lou Lamoriello days); among them [Lowell](2025-08-29_bosfleet&umlhockey) and Albany (which has a decent-sized arena which now only hosts Arena Football). I’m not sure if they still have that reputation though, but given that Lamoriello is thought to be partially responsible for the demise of the Bridgeport Islanders...

[^4]: One of the locations they were in was Macon, GA where they played as the Macon Whoopee - one of the most infamous minor league sports names in history (thanks to an old game show).

[^5]: The team is still in Clevelandtown as the Cleveland Monsters (nee "Lake Monsters"); they share an arena with the Cavaliers, and won the Calder Cup (AHL championship) in 2016 - the same year their basketball friends across the hall won (and, well...).

[^6]: I counted: only eleven of the 27 hockey arenas I've discussed on this blog (so far) have real goal horns - and that figure is somewhat generous as it includes [Merrimack's trumpet player](2025-10-10_merrimackhockey_mens). Of the other 16, I do find it noteworthy that two of them are the only NHL arenas known to not normally have real horns ([TD Garden](2026-03-21_hechampionship2024) and [Madison Square Garden](2026-09-23_nyrangers)).

[^7s]: I don't remember who was in goal for the first game, but this game featured a rather fun name in net: Jeremy Brodeur, the son of NHL legend Martin Brodeur.

[^8]: While it's technically not "merchandise", I did go home with a game puck that flew over my head at the open house/club hockey game. Also, I checked how much it would be to order a jersey and have it shipped, and it turned out that shipping was the exact same cost as the ticket for the open house. However, the "instant gratification" of knowing the jersey was in my hands made the trip worth it for me - and getting a puck was a bonus.


”Minor League Hockey” is back in Trenton!

Trenton Ironhawks (ECHL) @ CURE Insurance Arena (Trenton, NJ)

Now that the [Philadelphia](2025-08-27_phiwings) [Wings](2026-04-12_phiwings2) are officially <a href="https://www.nll.com/news/national-lacrosse-league-to-move-forward-with-12-active-member-clubs-for-2026-27-season/" target="blank">dead</a>, I need a new "team" if I want to see ~~the Wells Fargo Center~~ Xfinity Mobile Arena before it gets demolished because _[let's not go there right now]_. Yes, I could go see the Sixers (and I almost did in 2025 when they had that surprising down year), but I'm not that big into basketball[^1]. However, there's always the arena's "main" tenant: the Flyers!

I know I've said that I'd rather not discuss my hockey loyalties on this blog, but I'm also not going to sit here and say that I actually "like" the Philadelphia Flyers. Outside of the fact that I'm in NORTH Jersey (which is more Rangers territory than Flyers), there are other teams in the NHL that I tend to gravitate towards a bit more, and MANY years ago, one of those teams infamously collapsed in the playoffs against said Flyers. Outside of that, I'd argue that the things you need to know about the Flyers are that they've historically been known for being a very physical team, and it's been over 50 years since they last won the Stanley Cup back in 1975 (they did make the Stanley Cup Final the year they the playoff series I mentioned happened, but lost in <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yy4UZbtxxkY" target="blank">one of the weirdest ways possible</a>).

In case you haven't noticed by now, all but one of the games I've gone to in Philly have been afternoon games; this is because I don't like the idea of a 90-minute drive at 10:00 at night (and also the parking "hack" I found for the area isn't available after a certain time). This year, the Flyers have several afternoon (i.e. 3 PM or earlier) games, but I was originally going to say "screw it" and go to a preseason game which started at 5 PM (against [Washington](2026-10-12_wshcapitals)[^2]). However, between me seeing the [Rangers](2026-09-23_nyrangers) earlier that same week, me already having been to the arena (and wanting to prioritize new places), and other logistical concerns including a coastal storm, I ended deciding to stick to my "original" plan of an afternoon game. I will admit that this particular game was not necessarily my "optimal" choice (largely because I had [another game](2026-10-25_treironhawks) already planned immediately after this one), but other factors made me choose to go for it - one of which being the fact that this game featured one of the strangest rivalries in the NHL right now: Philadelphia Flyers vs. Anaheim Ducks[^3].

According to <a href="https://x.com/JFreshHockey/status/2103167790651711892" target="blank">one fan survey</a>, the Ducks and Flyers are each other's third most hated team; for the Flyers, this puts the Ducks behind the Penguins and Rangers yet somehow ahead of teams like the Devils and Capitals. Part of this can likely be attributed to an incident this past offseason between the two teams involving free agency[^4], but I think a lot of this current Flyers-Ducks "rivalry" stems from one man: [Cutter Gauthier](2025-10-03_bchockey_mens).

I briefly mentioned it back when I talked about Boston College, but Gauthier was drafted by the Flyers fifth overall in 2022, and then there was some weird situation between him and the front office where he indicated he didn't want to be a Flyer and essentially cut communications with the team (allegedly on the advice of a former Flyers player who went to BC). This eventually led to him being traded to Anaheim, hence why I mentioned Flyers fans making the trek to Conte Forum to heckle him at a game (because that ACTUALLY HAPPENED). I've heard that part of it may have been due to the Flyers head coach at the time (who is one of those super polarizing guys) and/or the front office wanting him to spend some time in the [AHL](2025-10-06_lhvphantoms) before joining the NHL team, but in any case, he is now one of the most hated men in Philadelphia - just ahead of <a href="https://www.nbcsports.com/nfl/profootballtalk/rumor-mill/news/report-on-doctors-advice-jalen-hurts-played-in-london-after-being-awake-for-36-hours">whichever Philadelphia Eagles doctors nearly got Jalen Hurts LITERALLY killed</a>. Some time later, the two teams made another trade, with this one sending the Ducks' best player to Philly - adding more fuel to the fire.

With all of that in mind, I'd heard that some consider this "rivalry" to be more between the front offices - but apparently the players didn't know that. This was a SUPER scrappy game full of roughhousing, fisticuffs, and a TON of "brotherly love" for Cutter Gauthier: the game started with what I can only describe for the young kids who were next to me as a "THANK YOU CUTTER" chant (but also not), and he was booed MERCILESSLY every time he touched the puck. The physicality ended up leading to the game running rather "long", which meant that I had to leave early in the third period to make it to [Trenton](2026-10-25_treironhawks) in time - with the Ducks having just taken the lead that would eventually lead to them winning the game.

One VERY IMPORTANT thing I learned in the days prior to this game:

The secondary market isn't always better.

I ended up getting my ticket for this game via TicketMaster (aka the arena's box office), and when I checked SeatGeek, the seats next to mine (which, I should note, were available on TicketMaster) were significantly MORE. Speaking of which, I should probably talk about that seat, as it's in a part of the arena I've yet to see AND it's something I don't talk about often: luxury areas!

![A photo of Xfinity Mobile Arena from the rafters](/images/2026/1024-highview.jpeg)

My seat is part of something called "Revolutionary Row" - a row of seats located at the VERY TOP of the arena (i.e. eye level with the arena's banners). The seat itself is super nice , as it's a rather luxurious, cushioned leather seat - though since you're way above the ice and the seat is a bit "far back", you often have to lean forward to see anything. 

Attached to this is an area known as the Assembly Room, which features leather couches and a bunch of fancier decor (see the photo after this paragraph). Standing room only tickets are available for access to this area (i.e. you watch the entire game from the Assembly Room), and I WAS considering going for one of these tickets, but I've heard that it's a bit of a "survival of the fittest" situation, and since I like to walk around before things start (and sometimes during the game itself), I felt it wouldn't be worth it (also, warmups).

![An image of the premium area](/images/2026/1024-assemblyroom.jpeg)

I won't "bore" you with discussion on the rest of the arena (as I've done that already), but there are a few random odds and ends I don't think I don't think I've brought up before.

First, there's TV's all over the concourses as they don't offer views to the arena floor. This isn't, but what is interesting is that some will have the arena's feed and the television broadcast right next to each other, and due to broadcast delay, the two will be VERY out of sync:

![A photo of two screens showing the same thing but a few seconds apart](/images/2026/1024-delay.jpeg)

Second, the scoreboard has FLAMETHROWERS. They're attached to these side panels which can be lowered (to allow the flamethrowers to be used and not torch the rafters). I don't remember how often they were used for the Wings games I went to, but the flamethrowers went off for every Wings goal at the final game.

![A photo of flames shooting out from the Xfinity Mobile Arena scoreboard](/images/2026/1024-phiflames.jpeg)

Finally, every team in the NHL has a logo at center ice; usually, it's a big version of the team's primary logo, but some teams do have other designs. In the past, those logos were often broken by the red (center) line as it crossed through the middle of the ice, but some teams (such as the Flyers) got around this by putting two smaller versions of their logo at center ice. In the 2000s, this practice slowly went away in favor of a singular logo, and even the Flyers made the switch to one logo. A few years ago, however, the Flyers went back to having two logos at center ice, and they are currently the ONLY team in the NHL to do so - even as teams have started putting their logos over the red line.

Also, fun fact: I believe the Flyers got their current goal horn sometime in the 2000s, but the Wings were using the Flyers' old horn for the three games I went to. Also, I think I heard the Flyers' horn go off at some point prior to one of the Wings games (likely due to someone accidentally pressing the button for a split second).

<div id="merch" />

### MERCH

![An image of a special hockey puck](/images-2026/1024-matchuppuck-phi.jpeg)

<figcaption>This accidentally made what might be one of the best banner images this blog has ever seen</figcaption>

As I mentioned the first time I went to the arena, only one store was open for the Wings games I went to (which was very inconvenient for the last one, as it was PACKED for most of the night). Of course, with this game featuring the arena's "main" tenant, more of the merch areas in the arena were open. For the most part, there's not a ton here that I think is "special", but I do need to mention that the team sells special pucks for each game featuring that game's matchup (partially as they don't do designed warm up pucks - just blanks); several of the merch stores had these matchup pucks for older games, but more often than not they apparently sell out (this game's puck - which is in the photo above - did from what I could tell). Also, there's a Gritty store where you can buy a "naked" (i.e. no shirt - but he is wearing pants) Gritty (the Flyers' mascot) doll as well as outfits to dress him in, plus several of the merch booths had Gritty jerseys (something I don't see that much: teams selling mascot jerseys[^5]).

One other thing I will note: for those who don't know, most hockey and football jerseys feature something known as a nameplate, where a player's name is sewn onto a small piece of fabric which is then stitched onto the jersey itself (baseball is kinda 50/50 on this FWIW). I don't know how it became a thing, but the Flyers decided to make these nameplates a completely different color from the jersey for a one-off game, and apparently management and/or fans liked it, as it's been part of EVERY jersey the Flyers have released since 2010. Personally, I'm not a fan of it because I think it looks "off", so I've never been super interested in any jerseys that aren't blank (though I almost bought a Flyers jersey with this contrasting nameplate at a retro festival - but it didn't fit well enough)[^6].

However, MeiGray (i.e. the company that sold warm up pucks in Washington) had a table in the concourse (which they apparently don't do every game), and while it didn't feature warm up pucks (as the Flyers don't sell them AND they use blank pucks for warm ups anyway), they had other game-used items available - including jerseys. If you recall my discussion of NHL jerseys when I first went over them, you may remember me saying that in the Adidas era (2017-2024), the highest tier of jersey (i.e. those made in Canada specifically for the players) were not available normally - but they were available here.

---

[^1]: In retrospect: totally should've gone to that game...though oddly, get-in prices for the Sixers aren't as crazy as I thought they'd be right now. Sure, part of that is probably due to "load management roulette" (i.e. you MIGHT see Jaylen Brown, Joel Embiid, and/or a clearly beyond-past-his-prime LeBron - but don't count on it), but I doubt they're ever going to creep back towards being <$20...

[^2]: This was before I decided to see the Caps after the [Banana Bowl](2026-10-11_bananabowl2026).

[^3]: I will explain the other factors soon enough, but it does involve - what else? - another game I'm thinking of going to...



[^4]: Long story short: the Flyers attempted to sign one of the Ducks' (other) top players to a lucrative contract via an offer sheet - a method by which the player's current team (i.e. the Ducks) can match the offer and keep the player. The Ducks opted to match the offer sheet, but fans aren't sure how "worth it" it was as the team may now have a bit of a salary cap bind moving forward...

[^5]: I don't even recall the [Phillies](2026-06-08_phiphillies) doing this

[^6]: I say all of this, but I do have a Philadelphia Wings jersey with a contrasting nameplates...

A return to Philly for an unusual rivalry

Philadelphia Flyers (National Hockey League) @ Xfinity Mobile Arena (Philadelphia, PA)


### _[2026: New Venue #31](2026newvenuelist)_

The New Jersey Institute of Technology (commonly referred to as NJIT) was founded in 1880 and is, as the name might suggest, known for its various programs revolving around different kinds of engineering. Having gone to college [across the street from it](2026-06-05_morriselite), I'm somewhat familiar with it as I would occasionally visit for various reasons and would often walk through campus in the mornings (as it's adjacent to a local subway station that's at the top of a hill as opposed to the bottom of it[^1]). Back in the day, it had a BIT of a reputation for having a bit of a male-heavy student body, but I remember hearing that female enrollment was increasing significantly around the time I was in school (plus, of course, this post is detailing a WOMEN'S event).

As far as sports at NJIT goes...it's a bit of a mixed bag (it is a smaller technical school after all). The men's basketball team kinda sorta has the longest losing streak in NCAA D-I history (but not officially - it's weird), and there was a bit of a situation earlier this year where the track and field team's Instagram attracted attention for very INTERNET reasons[^2]. Of course, those aren't super relevant to today's topic: the school's women's soccer team - which has existed since 1996 and has only been to five conference tournaments all time (this information comes from their record book as the team doesn't have a Wikipedia page).

![A photo of Lubetkin Field](/images/2026/1018-lubetkin.jpeg)

Lubetkin Field (in its current state) opened in 2019 - two years after the adjacent fitness center (which hosts the basketball team among other things[^3]). Both are part of good ol' "college renovations that open AFTER you graduate", so they didn't exist when I was in college (I believe construction started around the time I graduated). I couldn't find much information on where the team played prior to the current stadium opening, but I WANT to say it was, in essence, the "prior" state of Lubetkin Field (i.e. how it was before the new athletics center was built).

The "stadium" itself isn't really all that much: a singular set of stands on one side of the field. There are a couple of rows of chairback seats somewhat randomly, but other than that it's all metal bleachers. What is nice, however, is that there is access to the fitness center which is behind the stands, as it's where the stadium's amenities are.

Under a LOT of circumstances, an NJIT soccer game doesn't seem like something I'd really want to do: it's in an area of Newark that is a bit difficult to get to, most games are at night, and parking is a bit of an odd/awkward situation. However, thanks to this game being on a Sunday at 2 PM (read: no parking rules plus daylight), I decided to make the trek over to see the women's version of a matchup I've been interested in: NJIT vs. the [University of Vermont](2025-08-21_vgfc). I had the men's edition of this particular matchup circled on my calendar for a visit last year (because, of course, Vermont Green[^4]), but wasn't able to go (partially as it involved several of the factors I just mentioned).

Alas, I feel like there's not much to be said about the game - it was one of those "both teams have several opportunities, but neither can capitalize and the game ends 0-0" deals. However, I did learn that NCAA women's college soccer has VAR/replay reviews, as a potential penalty was looked at late in the game (but was not awarded - hence the 0-0).

One final thing to note: there was a basketball "exhibition game" immediately before the soccer game (which I wasn't able to attend due to other commitments), but I did get to see the inside of the arena (as that's where the concession stand was for this game). I won't go over the arena right now (as it's NOT the focus of this post and a visit early next year MIGHT happen), but the thing I found most interesting about it: the "concourse" is a legitimate running track (with designated lanes!).

![A photo of a basketball arena](/images/2026/1018-njit-wec.jpeg)

<div id="merch" />

### MERCH

The fitness center has a full-on team store near the entrance to the basketball arena. It's not that big, but it is a bit interesting to me that it's there. Unfortunately (for me at least), despite several jerseys being on display inside the store, no jerseys were available for sale - though interestingly, they had World Cup balls (NJIT being an Adidas school). I DID consider getting a scarf (as this was a soccer game and it was a bit chilly), but ultimately decided against it.

As an aside, I've been contemplating the future of these "merch" sections - but I'll talk about that later.

---

[^1]: That's right: Newark has its own subway! Rutgers Newark and NJIT both have, in essence, their own stops, but since I would often use it to get to the upper parts of campus in the mornings, it was WAY easier for me to go down from NJIT than up from the Rutgers Newark station.

[^2]: I won't give any more context than this, but let's just say...I expect next year's photos to be edited a bit differently (if the track and field poster I saw inside the fitness center is any indication).

[^3]: I don't know if I'd ever watch NCAA swimming and diving, but I did see the university's pool which I believe it uses for swimming events from the outside, as it had a video screen on one wall and a spectator area (though it was closed).

[^4]: Vermont Green's women's team just played their first full season in USL W (a women's soccer league similar to [USL 2](usl2_overview)), and they ALMOST won it all. Next year, they're getting a new rival: Maine Wildness - a USL W "sister club" to Portland Hearts of Pine.


(Women's) College soccer across the street from my alma mater

NJIT Highlanders Women's Soccer (America East Conference) @ Lubetkin Field at Mal Simon Stadium (Newark, NJ)


_About a year ago, I posted a bunch of old things from hockey games I went to back in 2023. However, there are two arenas I visited back then that I actually didn’t write about - mostly as I wasn’t sure what to say._

_I don’t know if/when I’ll be getting back to these arenas, so I figured I’d do my best to write about them now (so forgive me if I’m more vague than usual). This is going up today as it's the date of the Worcester Railers home opener, in writing this, I realized something about THIS place in particular, which I'll get into later. For now, though, I should probably start with an intro to the ECHL, since this is (unintentionally) the first time I'm talking about it._

_Long story short: the ECHL (formerly the East Coast Hockey League) is to the NHL what Double-A is to Major League Baseball. However, if you recall me mentioning the first time I saw the [AHL](2025-10-06_lhvphantoms) (i.e. the Triple-A league) that few players from the AHL go on to have notable NHL careers, that is even more the case with the ECHL, where fewer than 1,000 players have ever played an NHL game - with most of the notable ones being goaltenders. Now, for the "main event":_

In 1994, the American Hockey League’s Springfield (I don’t think I should mention their name here, but think Cleveland baseball) made the short move east on the Massachusetts Turnpike to Worcester, MA, where they became the Worcester IceCats. Originally lacking any NHL affiliation, the team eventually became affiliated with (and was later sold to) the St. Louis Blues. In the fall of 2004, while the NHL was mired in its infamous season long lockout, the Blues sold the IceCats to the owners of their ECHL affiliate in Peoria, IL, who “moved” the team (by which I mean the Peoria team became an AHL team, and Worcester was gone from the AHL).

However, the city managed to secure a new AHL team in 2006, when the San Jose Sharks moved their operations into town (from Cleveland, OH). The Sharks spent almost a decade in Worcester, but in 2015, San Jose - as well as several other western based NHL teams - chose to relocate their AHL operations to the west coast for various reasons. Worcester was one of three New England cities to see their team head west (the other two being Manchester, NH and Springfield, MA), and while Manchester got an ECHL team (which folded in 2019), and Springfield got an AHL team from Portland, ME...Worcester had to wait until 2017 for hockey to return. When it did, it took the form of the Worcester Railers - a new team in the ECHL.

Since their establishment, the team has been...mostly okay. They haven’t really won much, and they’re not exactly one of the better teams in the ECHL attendance wise. A large part of that may possibly be due to the presence of stronger teams in the Boston area (i.e. the Bruins and the high-level college programs), but another factor is the lack of a Bruins connection: from the team’s founding until this past offseason, they were under the New York Islanders, but are starting a new affiliation this year (i.e. the Islanders have a new ECHL team). In an amazing display of "time is a flat circle", their new NHL affiliate is...

...The St. Louis Blues, who not only were the last AHL affiliate of the old IceCats, but JUST SO HAPPEN to have their current AHL affiliate in...

...Springfield, MA![^1]

The arena is currently known as the DCU Center and has been for quite a while; however, DCU (the credit union behind the name) merged with another credit union recently, and I can't tell if/when a name change may happen (though it should also be noted that the naming rights deal is set to expire in 2027 as well).

On some level, it’s very much what you’d expect from a smaller, older arena (as it was opened in 1982 as the Worcester Centrum): a concourse that fully wraps around the arena but largely lacks views of the ice, various concession and beer stands, a split tiered seating bowl (with entrances at “mid level”), and “smaller” upper sections as curtains blocked off most of the upper seats.

One thing worth noting, though: the arena had been refurbished at some point, and the one Railers game I went to - the team’s 2023-24 home opener (which they won for what it's worth) - was the first game to showcase this renovation. As an aside, one of my favorite things outside the arena is a statue of Bob Cousy, who went to the [College of the Holy Cross](2025-10-2_holycrosshockey_men) (and won an NCAA title) just south of downtown Worcester before becoming a Boston Celtics legend.

I was originally going to just focus on the “main arena”, but there’s also an attached convention center which I’ve visited multiple times (it was opened after a 1997 renovation). Each of those times, I came here for a Super Smash Bros. tournament series known as Shine; I won't go too deep into its history, but it was originally held in Boston before making the 45-mile journey west, and I visited it three times: 2019 (before the time of me writing about sporting venues/events), 2022, and 2023 (which, sadly, was the tournament’s final edition)[^2]. 

If you’ve never been to a video game tournament before, it is a WILD experience. Not only do you get to see some of the top players in the world, but they’re often found wandering in and around the venue, so you can get SUPER CLOSE and personal with them (but maybe don’t do that second part). A large part of that is due to the fact that since there are A TON of games happening at once (due to the hundreds of entrants), matches happen all over the convention center floor. For me, one of the more interesting experiences at a tournament like this was seeing a GIANT crowd of spectators at one of the side stations because a top player is there (and then playing the game of "who's shoving a proverbial scrub into a locker right now").

I can’t recall too much of what happened in the 2022 and 2023 tournaments, but the 2019 one was famous for the rise of a player who, last I remember, was banned from participating in tournaments - though I URGE you to use caution if you’re going to look up who that player was and why they were banned...

<div id="merch" />

### MERCH

At the Railers game I went to, there were two separate merchandise areas; one was by the main entrance and another was at what I believe is the opposite end of the concourse (and was smaller than the one by the entrance). The Railers had new jerseys the night I went, but I felt they weren't "interesting" enough to warrant adding to my collection, so I skipped them (but did get a jacket).

The Railers also maintain a full store at their practice facility a short distance away - which I’ve visited several times. I’ve gotten a few hats and jerseys plus a game puck here, but the most interesting thing about the Railers merchandise wise has to be the “end of season equipment sale”. At the end of each season, the team has a sale on equipment and other items accrued throughout the season; it’s here that I got...a [Bridgeport Sound Tigers](2026-01-12_bptislanders) puck, but also a special theme night jersey commemorating the IceCats!

As for the Smash tournaments, I got a baseball style jersey at the 2019 one (which I’d probably wear more if it weren’t for what happened with the winner), and several jackets and Nintendo Gamecube controllers from the latter two. Each tournament also featured other vendors outside of the tournament's merch booth, from which I bought more shirts/jackets, a small card game, and other things that I don’t currently remember (though I'm pretty sure one of them sold a sticker I put on my laptop).

---

I mentioned earlier that the Railers were the Islanders' ECHL affiliate until this year - which means that the Isles, of course, have a new ECHL team. In case you were wondering who that team is and where they play, well...check back here in a week or so.

---

[^1]: The team there is called the Thunderbirds, but a visit is a MASSIVE question mark due to a few factors such as distance and...Springfield, Massachusetts.

[^2]: I will NOT get into whether or not Esports should count as sports - or whether Super Smash Bros qualifies as a “major” esport (largely due to Nintendo). In addition to Smash, though, I've been to a Rocket League event at [Agganis Arena](2025-10-04_buhockey_mens) and ALMOST went to another one at the same place but it didn't work out.


Sports and Esports in New England’s second city

A quick look at the DCU Center (Worcester, MA)


### _[2026: New Venue #30](2026newvenuelist)_

Prior to winning the Stanley Cup in 2018, the Washington Capitals were probably best known for two things:

1. The worst regular season in NHL history (their first season in 1974-75, in which they had a winning percentage of exactly .100)

2. Their inability to go deep into the playoffs despite having Alexander Ovechkin - one of the NHL's top talents of the 2000s (I mean check out <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E82oUXP6Hng" target="blank">this goal from his first season in the NHL</a>). As an aside, this post will NOT be getting into some of the "less savory" details about him (i.e. when you combine his country of origin with certain leanings common amongst hockey players...).

Since winning that Cup, they've won exactly ONE playoff series - though Ovechkin did what was once thought to be impossible and claim the title of the NHL's all time leading goalscorer (though he ain't getting the points record from Gretzky - partially for reasons I'll get into in a sec).

I'll be honest: I'm looking into going to a few NHL games this year (though I feel like that shouldn't come as a surprise). A lot of that is because I've only been to NHL games at THREE arenas, and I figured I'd like to check out a few more (mainly with the advent of this blog). On that note, however, I must admit that THIS particular game was not really on my "radar" until a week before it happened - despite me knowing for over a month that I'd be in town for the [Banana Bowl](2026-10-11_bananabowl2026). Thankfully, the Caps just so happened to be playing at home the day before (Friday) AND after (Sunday); I chose the "after" game for a few reasons:

1. I didn't want to have to rush down on a Friday afternoon to catch a 7:00 PM puck drop, and since I was staying with my brother, I wouldn't have to worry about spending an extra night at a hotel.

2. It was slightly less expensive when I got the tickets.

3. It featured a team I haven't seen yet: the Seattle Kraken. I have seen FAR fewer NHL teams vs. MLB (since, as mentioned earlier, I've only been to three arenas before this), but I figured trying to get to 32/32 (and then potentially more) would be fun to try (the "before" game would have been the [Rangers](2026-09-23_nyrangers), and despite that game being a preseason game, most of the team's NHL roster played)[^2]

On some level, I felt like I jumped early; I bought this ticket immediately after learning that the Caps were home when I was going to be in DC (which was about a week before the Banana Bowl), and I might have been able to find something a bit "better" had I waited a few days. What I was NOT expecting, however, was a fourth reason why going to this game was prudent:

4. Alex Ovechkin announced that this would be his final season about 24 hours after I bought the ticket - though it didn't seem to affect the market for this particular game in a major way (part of that may be the Commanders being home on the same day FWIW[^3])

The day before the game, I decided to check out the team's practice facility a short Metro ride away (for reasons I'll get to in a sec), and the team was practicing (it was open for fans to watch). One particular player wasn't present for the team practice, but I believe he was busy entertaining some young fans (who were probably his kids) in an adjacent rink...

![A photo of Alexander Ovechkin practicing](/images/2026/1010-ovi.jpeg)

<figcaption>Don't ask who the dude in white is - I have NO IDEA.</figcaption>

That aside, what is now Capital One Arena opened in DC's Chinatown neighborhood in 1997 as a replacement for an arena known as the Capital Centre (though despite the name, it was in Maryland[^1]). If you remember me talking about the [Philadelphia arena saga](2026-04-12_phiwings2), then you might remember me mentioning that the Sixers wanted an arena in Philly's Chinatown, which was feared to be disruptive to the area - with DC as an example of what could happen (i.e. the reduction of Chinatown). I have no reference of how the neighborhood was prior to the arena's arrival, but at least according to Wikipedia, it has been cited as part of a "revitalization" of the neighborhood.

At this point, I probably don't need to talk about NBA/NHL arena layouts as they're all largely the same: main concourse for the lower bowl, upper concourse for the upper decks, both fully encircle the building to allow fans access to their seats. However, what makes THIS arena a bit unique (besides the fact that like Philly, the main concourse is at street level) is the fact that there's three levels of "non-suite" seats and a "middle" concourse for the second level - though a premium area means it doesn't go fully around the arena. While the concourses aren't exactly "special", my biggest gripe with them is the complete lack of natural lighting - though the building is currently undergoing a renovation (like other arenas built in the 1990s), so there's a chance this may not be the case in the future.

![A photo inside Capital One Arena](/images/2026/1011-c1arena.jpeg)

Inside the arena itself, there are FAR more video screens than most arenas I've seen: in addition to your standard center jumbotron, there are double-sided screens in each of the four corners. The ones facing the center of the arena display stats and stuff, while the ones facing out show the game and score to fans stuck immediately behind them.

If you're afraid of goal horns, be advised that much like MOST NHL buildings (save for the two Gardens and apparently Toronto), the arena has one that sounds after the team scores (though I probably should've mentioned this a [LONG time ago](2025-08-28_nysirens)). I believe most NHL teams have their goal horns near the center of the building (i.e. above or inside the jumbotron), so how far you are from it will determine how loud it sounds (it wasn't that loud in the ends, but a bit louder on the sides).

The bad news: the Capitals lost on a late goal (which happened with about five minutes to go in the game). The good news: I got to see Ovechkin score his first goal of this last season. One other thing I will say: the crowd was actually pretty into it (moreso than the Rangers game I felt) - even in the Metro station after the game.

<div id="merch" />

### MERCH

I don't know if this is still a thing people do, but back in the day, one of the more "common" ways to get things without having to go to a store was via phone ordering (largely due to infomercials[^4]). Of course, a lot of this has been replaced with online shopping, but in 2023...I called the team's practice facility and placed a phone order for a Capitals jersey I REALLY wanted. It's part of an old program Adidas ran back in the day known as "Reverse Retro", and the Capitals apparently had one of the top selling jerseys of said program (hence why I had to literally call them - no one had it online).

Since I just mentioned the the Capitals' practice facility, I should mention that the team maintains a merchandise store here[^5]! While it does carry many of the same things the arena has (though it also had a magazine that I didn't see at the arena store), there weren't really many player jerseys save for a bunch of Ovechkins plus ONE Tom Wilson. What it DID have that I don't often see, however, were Authentic Pro Jerseys (i.e. the ones worn by the players on the ice).

As for the arena itself, I've TRIED to visit the store here quite a few times, but in my experiences, it's been closed more often than it's been open. I feel like I can only remember ONE visit to the store, but I was able to find a hat for the Arena Football team that played here back in the late 2010s that time[^5].

In the days leading up to this game, I found out that as part of the arena renovations I mentioned above, the store has moved to a new location. This location - similar to [TD Garden] (and, to certain extents, Madison Square Garden) - is outside of the arena itself, but you can visit it once you get into the arena by getting a handstamp from the ushers (the Devils actually have a fairly similar setup). Also, be forewarned that the merch areas inside the stadium are all VERY small and, for the most part, don't have anywhere near the selection of the main store.

Unlike the practice facility store, they had other player jerseys available, but with the exception of Ovechkin (and specifically RED Ovechkin jerseys as I thought about getting a white one), the jerseys featured heat pressed nameplates and numbers - including the one I actually wanted (former [Boston College](2025-10-03_bchockey_mens) forward Ryan Leonard, who I saw a few times during his college career).

As the building is named for Capital One (a bank), there's a discount on merch if you use a Capital One card, and since I've already made the "what's in your wallet" reference before...of course, you still have to deal with the arena upcharges, but based on price hikes for jerseys this year, you actually still come out "ahead". However, be forewarned that said discount does NOT apply to the practice facility store (i.e. no discounts on the Authentic Pros), and DC (and Virginia for that matter) have sales tax on clothing.

One last thing to mention: A table on the upper concourse run by MeiGray (a company specializing in game-used sports stuff) offers the chance to buy pucks used during warm-ups. They are, sadly, not eligible for the Capital One discount, and I've heard that prices can vary WILDLY on a game-to-game basis (aka "don't ask how much they cost for this particular game"), but at least in the Capitals' case, they are a VERY special memento for each individual game, as they feature the date of the game and both team's logos - like this:

![A photo of a warm-up puck](/images/2026/1011-warmuppuck.jpeg)

Many teams in the NHL also sell warm up pucks, but they all do it a bit differently - and apparently this design is not "constant" throughout the league. For example, I once got a warm up puck at a Bruins-Devils game in Newark at the team store kiosk in the main concourse's large "plaza" area; it looked similar to this one, but I've heard the team no longer uses these types of warm up pucks...

---

As a side note, I did contemplate staying for another extra day to see the Wizards, but ended up choosing not to despite the "get-in" price being less than ten bucks, as it would have been a preseason game featuring two teams expected to be not-so-good (in fact, it's the reverse of the matchup I saw [back in February](2026-02-08_bknets)). Also, I'm not sure I would have been able to keep my car parked on the streets of DC for free on a Monday despite it being a federal holiday.

---

[^1]: The arena wasn't demolished until 2002, which is when an outdoor mall opened (which I actually visited once in 2013). The mall has since been closed and demolished, and a mixed-use development is being built at the site - but apparently it's not open yet...

[^2]: This game brings me to 10/32 teams seen - the other eight are the Devils, Bruins, Rangers, Islanders, Hurricanes, Lightning, Senators, and Oilers (more specifically the McDavid/Draisaitl Oilers). Also, apparently Rangers goalie Igor Shesterkin (one of their best players) got injured during the game and is out for this season...at least he played half of that preseason game I saw.

[^3]: A TIE? Really?

[^4]: I'd make a joke about the things you'd see on Comedy Central at 3:00 AM, but this is a family blog (probably)...

[^5]: There's also a store that specializes in hockey gear (i.e. for actually playing hockey), but I didn't check it out.

[^6]: The team was known as the Washington Valor, and somehow won a league title in a year in which they went 2-10 because [INDOOR FOOTBALL](2026-04-18_jerseybearcats)!


I take advantage of my travels to watch a LEGEND before it's too late

Washington Capitals (National Hockey League) @ Capital One Arena (Washington, DC)


By now, some of you are probably tired of reading about Banana Ball - especially since this is the SIXTH time I’ve posted about it on this blog. If this is you, I can understand: on some level, it’s gotta be annoying hearing about me going to all of these games that you either don’t really care about because you think Banana Ball is too "avant garde" and/or have massive FOMO about because you couldn’t get tickets.

However...this one’s different: it’s the final Banana Ball post for 2026, and it’s a special one, as it’s the league's _championship game_. Before we get into the actual game, however, I do need to mention one thing:

### What could have been

I know I've already seen Banana Ball [four](2026-04-25_bananaball_ny) [other](2026-04-27_bananaball_ny2) [times](2026-06-12_bananaball_js) [this year](2026-07-26_bananaball_hfd) (plus [one time last year](2025-08-23_bananaball_bos))...but here's the thing: I had tickets to TWO other Banana Ball games this year that I ended up not going to (not counting the Friday night Jersey Shore game that I had to miss due to vacation[^1]).

First, I was intending to go to Gillette Stadium in Foxboro(ugh)[^2], MA at the end of August. In the weeks leading up to the game, I was considering not going (because if you've never been to Gillette Stadium, getting in and out is bad PLUS the stadium was charging for lots that are normally free), but eventually felt I still wanted to do it. Unfortunately, something came up in the days before the game that required my attention, so I ended up not going (and again, I was apprehensive about the trip anyway)[^3]. On a somewhat interesting note: the Hartford game I went to was used as a "test" of selling K Club tickets, and I guess it worked decently enough, because I was able to list my ticket on the marketplace (which is something I hadn't been able to do before outside of the whole Yankee Stadium thing).

Second, do you recall me going to the [PLL Championship game](2026-09-20_pllchampionship2026) back in September? Well, one of the BIG reasons I was able to do that was because I had to forego my original plan for that weekend: a trip to Savannah, GA.

I’ve [talked about the K Club before](bananaball_bospt2) (partially because I’m a member), but in case you weren’t aware, it’s a Savannah Bananas fan club which includes, among other things, early and (basically) guaranteed access to tickets for most Banana Ball games - keyword "most". Right before the org announced its 2026 schedule, they sent an email to K Club members that indicated that tickets for games IN Savannah were going to be limited to fans who joined the K Club back in 2022 and 2023; I joined in 2024, so I was not going to be able to buy tickets to see Banana Ball in Savannah...or so I thought.

However, after processing the sales to the two groups, I received an email that indicated that tickets were still available for Savannah games, and that I’d have a chance to get tickets to a game in Savannah. I had chosen a game in September as my date to head down - largely as I needed to get some things together in order to be able to make the trip down.

Alas...I wasn't able to get things in order in time. Yes, part of it is due to how wild certain things are nowadays (plus a lot of the things that also made me going to Foxboro untenable), but at the end of the day, a lot of it falls on me failing to do the things I kinda sorta NEEDED to do to make the trip to Savannah feasible.

With THAT note out of the way, let's talk about THIS game.

### The League of Extraordinary Bananas

While 2026 marks the debut of the Banana Ball Championship League, it's not the first time the organization has had a playoff to determine an "overall champion". I alluded to it back at Yankee Stadium, but there was a playoff between the (then) four teams last year which the Party Animals won. Of course, now that there is a league, what does every good league need? A champion!

And if you're the Banana Ball Championship League, how do you do your first "official" championship game?

By going BIG.

In August, it was announced that the championship game - known as the Banana Bowl - would be held at Nationals Park in Washington, DC. Not only that, they announced that no matter what the matchup was, ALL SIX TEAMS and their respective casts of characters (of questionable necessity) would be present. K Club members were asked if they wanted to opt in for the chance to buy tickets, and the allure of watching a championship game (plus the fact that the other four teams that aren't playing were going to be present) made me decide to go for it. It also helped that the factors that killed my trip to Savannah (transportation and lodging) were not issues for the Banana Bowl: DC is close enough from New Jersey to drive to, and my brother lives in the city, so I wouldn't have to worry about either.

### National...something

I'm not going to talk about the Washington Nationals here - they've largely been mediocre to bad since arriving in 2005 (and this somehow includes the year they won the World Series).

Their home stadium - the aplty named Nationals Park - opened in 2008 after the team spent a few years at RFK Stadium (an older stadium is scheduled to werwerwerbe demolished soon). It's in the District's Navy Yard area, and if I'm going to be honest...it's not all that unique. Much like most modern parks, it's got a full main concourse and shorter upper deck concourses which are "broken" up by the outfield, but unlike several stadiums opened in the same era, it's made of more "modern" materials (as opposed to the brick ballparks the team's [divisional](2026-05-01_nymets) [rivals](2026-06-08_phiphillies)). Swaths of the ballpark USED to have great views of the US Capitol Building, but modern construction around the stadium has obscured these views.

I should note, however, that I actually didn't explore the ballpark much during the game - I was mostly in my seat after the seating bowl opened. I was hoping to take a tour of the ballpark the day after the game, but several things ended up happening that prevented me from doing it (and NONE of it involved the [Capitals](2026-10-12_wshcapitals) game - for the most part).

<div id="merch" />

### The Plaza and Pregame (and MERCH)

I'm not sure exactly how common this is, but the main gate and team store for Nationals Park are in the outfield (as was the pre game plaza for this game). While the items here aren't exactly "earth shatteringly unique", it is the place where I "re-started" collecting hats in 2019 (which I had stopped because my childhood collection became too small for my head). I also recall a visit where I thought about getting some of their clearance jerseys (i.e. the jerseys for players who just left the team), but none were my size.

During my 2019 visit, I also recall finding a jersey from the 2018 All-Star Game which the Nationals hosted at one of the merchandise booths (that wasn't the main store). Unfortunately, it was NOT clearance priced, so I had to pass on it...

As for the Banana Bowl, speculation about merchandise was rampant in the weeks leading up to the game (as all six teams would be present), but a few days before the game, I got an email saying that merch would only be available for the two teams playing: The Savannah Bananas and the Texas Tailgaters - the matchup I WOULD HAVE seen had I made it to Savannah. In addition to the "standard" tents around the stadium, a food hall area in center field and a team store kiosk on the concourse were "converted" to Banana Ball merchandise stores.

As mentioned earlier, the pre-game plaza for this game was in the outfield, but it also featured something I haven't seen in a while: a K Club area (on the upper concourse)! There was a small merchandise area here, and somehow, it was far and away the WORST part of the day. Not only was it super crowded (it took me nearly an hour to get through the line), but they didn't have a lot of things - namely, they did not have anything Bananas or Tailgaters specific (i.e. shirts, jerseys, and hats), which were available in other parts of the stadium. The K Club area did offer early views of the field, however, so you could see all the people who got the backstage pass on the field with the teams.

![An image of Nationals Park](/images/2026/1010-bbb.jpeg)

One note: I'd been collecting "2026 World Tour" shirts at prior games, but they didn't have either team's tour shirt here. As I skipped my only other chance to see the Tailgaters, this means that I was unable to get a "Texas Tailgaters 2026 World Tour" shirt (as well as the Firefighters, who I never saw in 2026[^4])

### The big show

![An image of the teams](/images/2026/1010-bananabowl.jpeg)

In the lead up to the Banana Bowl, the organization promised a spectacle like none they'd ever done before. Sure enough, many, MANY guests showed up to make the night special. I can't remember ALL of the things that happened, but a few highlights:

- The Bananas' mascot arriving via parachute
- Famous a capella group Pentatonix singing the anthem (with a flyover)
- John Cena somehow managing to show up to deliver the game ball
- Several musical acts doing "walkups"
- Former Washington Capitals player T.J. Oshie escorting a player

After each of the first six innings, each of the six teams debuted a song that they intend to use more next year. I'm not, but it was definitely awkward having the Tailgaters introduce their song for next year immediately after giving up a walk-off home run...

Before the final inning, there was a special "Final Inning Show" featuring all six teams, several of their musical acts, and the cast of "Dancing With the Stars" (as one of the Bananas is on the current season) - but before that, the teams were accompanied on field by...

# The Jonas Brothers.

I had heard rumors that they MIGHT be involved as JoBros fans noted their schedule was clear for today, but I doubted they'd show up until, well...they did.

### The big game

The actual game, in my opinion, was pretty good - unlike some of the Banana Ball games I've been to this year (\*coughHartford\*cough), it moved rather quickly and had a lot of "action" - though it was a bit of a pitcher's duel. One of my favorite moments came when one inning featured a "Zimmerman(n)-off": former Washington Nationals pitcher Jordan Zimmermann pitching for the Tailgaters against Natinals[^5] franchise legend Ryan Zimmerman hitting for the Bananas (Jordan won). However, I think the game was won on Texas Tailgaters manager Joe Mikulik doing something seemingly unheard of in Banana Ball: actually being a strategic baseball manager (as opposed to his infamous antics from his minor league career - look up "Joe Mikulik meltdown" on YouTube for SEVERAL examples).

It's the eighth inning, and the Tailgaters are down 1-0. Due up is a batter who is 0-2, but more importantly, he's the designated "strikeout" guy: if he strikes out, the crowd gets donuts (by which I mean munchkins are thrown into the crowd and you MIGHT get some).

Instead of having him come up with the crowd vehemently against him, the Tailgaters use their Golden Batter to "switch up" the pressure - and he responds by hitting a home run. They win the inning and the all important point to tie the game without having to hope they get the equalizer point for having more trick plays (which they BARELY missed), and they go on to win the first showdown and the game.

![An image of the postgame](/images/2026/1010-champeens.jpeg)

### Final Thoughts

I've heard that one "thing" with Banana Ball is that once you've gone to one "show", every other game is basically the same show. In a way, the prior three venues I went to this year have kinda proven this. Of those three, each had its highlights and its lowlights (which I won't get too into); case in point: I came out of the Clowns game in Hartford liking their hosts and band...but also seeing just how UGLY things can get when the players aren't actually good at baseball (that and the Party Animals basically ducking JBJ for most of the game). Part of that was the first inning DRAGGING on for almost half an hour, while this game was basically three innings in at that point.

This game (as well as one other thing that I did on this day - more on that soon) reminded me of two of the most important things Banana Ball does:

1. Access. Ticket prices are a MASSIVE issue , but I feel ithat fans are intensely disconnected from the players they cheer for: many don't often do public appearances, and when they do, it's usually not free (or cheap). With its emphasis on low price tickets, anti-scalper measures (i.e. their resale market), and having the players be accessible to fans, Banana Ball bridges the gap between the players and the fans way better than the major leagues do. There is actually ONE other thing I did before the Banana Bowl that highlights this, but I'll get to that soon...

2. Atmosphere. At a lot of baseball games nowadays, the crowd only really gets into the game when something happens; outside of that...it's dead. Yes, a lot of the atmosphere of Banana Ball is manufactured and more often than not focused AWAY from the game itself, but being at a full, loud stadium is something special for any sport (this is also where I'm going to go against "popular" opinion and say that I kinda prefer the BIGGER venues - though that might just be due to me being in the K Club)

With all of this in mind...I'm conflicted about 2027. I will admit that I have some thoughts about seeing Banana Ball at an MLB stadium I've never been to before (as I'd be able to get seats that are normally WAY out of my price range), but with the MLB lockout looming, it does create some mixed feelings (as buying tickets kinda sorta supports the owners keeping the players locked out).

I've also never done the "VIP" experience before, and so MAYBE I might try and go for that just to see what it's like (I should note that I had the opportunity to get VIP tickets to the game I saw in Lakewood but ended up not).

---

[^1]: The story is in my post about the game I did go to, but long story short: I bought tickets for the Friday game in Lakewood, but then found out after paying that we would be on vacation in the Carolinas the week after. In order to facilitate accommodating a [Myrtle Beach Pelicans](2026-06-15_mbpelicans) game into this trip (as there was only ONE DAY during the week that worked), we would have to leave that Friday, so I wasn't able to make it to the game.

[^2]: The town is OFFICIALLY spelled "Foxborough", but a lot of people - INCLUDING the USPS - use "Foxboro", so I’m not really sure how to spell the town’s name...

[^3]: Had I gone, I would've missed the pregame/plaza stuff because I was planning on using the train, and it wasn't scheduled to arrive until 6:00 PM - one hour before the actual "game" started.

[^4]: I had "contingency" plans to see the Firefighters in [Allentown](2025-08-08_jsblueclaws) so I could get their shirt, but never went through with them.

[^5]: I feel like I should apologize for making referencing one of the most infamous jersey snafus I can think of, but come on - it's one thing when a career minor league plays for the "ANGEES", but when your TOP TWO players both have the SAME misspelling...

Sportventures

Gonna Fly(er) Now

In the (University) Heights

CATCH-UP: Worcester Centrum

When in the District...

The Big Game at the End