Hey all. Here is the link to one of my Rays blog entries I did during Summer 2009! Enjoy!
http://mvn.com/theraysparty/2009/08/pitching-again-fails-rays-in-8-7-loss.html/
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Saturday, October 24, 2009
Indian Rocks Christian-37, Shorecrest-0
Heres another article I wrote for the Times on Oct 2nd, 2009. http://hometeam.tampabay.com/blog/2009/oct/02/6350-indian-rocks-christian-37-shorecrest-0/
Hope you enjoy!
Hope you enjoy!
Thursday, October 1, 2009
St Pete Times Article
Hey. Posted below is a link to one of my St Pete Times articles from Fall 2009. Enjoy!
http://hometeam.tampabay.com/blog/2009/sep/17/9121-palm-harbor-u-31-seminole-8/
http://hometeam.tampabay.com/blog/2009/sep/17/9121-palm-harbor-u-31-seminole-8/
Friday, April 24, 2009
Introduction to my blog!
Me at a Tampa Bay Lightning game this season!!Hi everyone!My name is Lauren Burg and I am a senior in the journalism program at USF St. Petersburg. This semester, I took a Sports Journalism course and at the end of the semester our class was asked to take the stories we wrote throughout the semester and put them in either a blog or website format. I have wanted to be a writer since I learned to write and I have always had a great passion for sports. The stories I wrote for my Sports Journalism course have to do with hockey and the Tampa Bay Lightning because that is where my passion lies. I also work for the St Petersburg Times as a high school sports correspondent and have published the links to some of the articles I have written for them. Finally, I am a passionate photographer,mainly photographing sporting events and plan to publish a blog with all photographs sometime in the near future!Anyways, I really enjoyed making this blog and I hope you enjoy reading it!
Thursday, April 23, 2009
Palm Harbor U-42, Pinellas Park-6
Here is a link to one of the many games that I have covered over the past two years for the St. Petersburg Times Prep Section.
http://www.tampabay.com/sports/footballpreps/article904130.ece?comments=legacy
http://www.tampabay.com/sports/footballpreps/article904130.ece?comments=legacy
St Pete Times Forum
Me in front of the St Pete Times Forum in Tampa, home to the Tampa Bay Lightning!Nestled deep in downtown Tampa is a building that rises high above most others. It is surrounded by restaurants and Tampa Bay to one side and a university and performing arts center to the other side. It is known as home to the National Hockey League (NHL)’s Tampa Bay Lightning and the Arena Football League’s Tampa Bay Storm. However, it has also served as host to many concerts and basketball tournaments over the years.
It is one of the few places you will find that has a sports bar on-site, along with many across the street and even next to it. It is also located within walking distance from the Florida Aquarium, the Port of Tampa and the Channelside District. According to USF St. Petersburg journalism major Sara Palmer, “I like that it is surrounded by other things to do; you can really make a day of it. You can go to the aquarium, see the Lightning play and then go grab a few beers in Channelside after the game. I enjoy places that have a variety of good fun all within a few blocks.”
It also features good parking, located either on-site or within five blocks of it. According to Jerald Cardin, a 69 year old retired school principal from Alabama, “I like how the parking deck opens right out to the entrance to the arena. Also, it is large enough to accommodate any sporting event or concert and all of the seats (in the arena) are good seats.”
The inside features three main levels of seating. Also, if you go to a Lightning game, there are suites. Many of these are sponsored by players and the Foundations they started. If you are lucky, you are given the chance to sit in the player’s suite and sometimes even meeting the player themselves. There are also close to four televisions that hang from the ceiling. These help those people in the upper deck see what is happening below without needing binoculars. According to USF St. Petersburg senior mass communications major Kaeli Conforti, “I like how it is big enough to hold so many thousands of people but at the same time it’s roomy enough that you don’t notice the crowds as much. I went to the Billy Joel & Elton John concert and even though we were sitting in the “nosebleed section” the big screen TV helped us to see their performance as if we were in the front row. There doesn’t seem to be a bad view in the place and the tickets for their events are always reasonably priced.”
This building is mainly known for its sports, however. From early October to early April, sometimes even later if the team makes the playoffs, it’s home to the NHL’s Tampa Bay Lightning. Afterward, the ice comes up and is usually replaced with the fake turf of an arena football field. Even during the season, the ice will come up and be replaced by tile floors for a basketball tournament or a stage for a concert. According to USF St. Petersburg journalism major Olivia Huff, “I like the fact that no matter where you are sitting, you have a great view. It kind of reminds me of a basketball stadium.”
Outside of it is also very nice, especially after a night game. It features a stage area often used during concerts after Tampa Bay Lightning games. Even if the team got killed, it is nice to walk out into the night and hear music hit your ears like an angel singing to you. It also has plenty of room, allowing you to move freely along with a big screen TV that shows the games on the wall of the parking garage. According to Lauren Jackson, a St. Petersburg College graduate student and Registered Nurse, “I like the Tampa Bay Lightning games. All the excitement that they have before the game and interactive things the fans can do are really awesome.”
As you can see, this building is well located. If you aren’t interested in paying up to go see the hockey team play, you can enjoy it in other ways. You can watch the game at a sports bar across the street or even the one located on-site. Afterward, you can catch the post game concert or go down to Channelside for a few drinks. Where am I? Welcome to the St. Pete Times Forum!
It is one of the few places you will find that has a sports bar on-site, along with many across the street and even next to it. It is also located within walking distance from the Florida Aquarium, the Port of Tampa and the Channelside District. According to USF St. Petersburg journalism major Sara Palmer, “I like that it is surrounded by other things to do; you can really make a day of it. You can go to the aquarium, see the Lightning play and then go grab a few beers in Channelside after the game. I enjoy places that have a variety of good fun all within a few blocks.”
It also features good parking, located either on-site or within five blocks of it. According to Jerald Cardin, a 69 year old retired school principal from Alabama, “I like how the parking deck opens right out to the entrance to the arena. Also, it is large enough to accommodate any sporting event or concert and all of the seats (in the arena) are good seats.”
The inside features three main levels of seating. Also, if you go to a Lightning game, there are suites. Many of these are sponsored by players and the Foundations they started. If you are lucky, you are given the chance to sit in the player’s suite and sometimes even meeting the player themselves. There are also close to four televisions that hang from the ceiling. These help those people in the upper deck see what is happening below without needing binoculars. According to USF St. Petersburg senior mass communications major Kaeli Conforti, “I like how it is big enough to hold so many thousands of people but at the same time it’s roomy enough that you don’t notice the crowds as much. I went to the Billy Joel & Elton John concert and even though we were sitting in the “nosebleed section” the big screen TV helped us to see their performance as if we were in the front row. There doesn’t seem to be a bad view in the place and the tickets for their events are always reasonably priced.”
This building is mainly known for its sports, however. From early October to early April, sometimes even later if the team makes the playoffs, it’s home to the NHL’s Tampa Bay Lightning. Afterward, the ice comes up and is usually replaced with the fake turf of an arena football field. Even during the season, the ice will come up and be replaced by tile floors for a basketball tournament or a stage for a concert. According to USF St. Petersburg journalism major Olivia Huff, “I like the fact that no matter where you are sitting, you have a great view. It kind of reminds me of a basketball stadium.”
Outside of it is also very nice, especially after a night game. It features a stage area often used during concerts after Tampa Bay Lightning games. Even if the team got killed, it is nice to walk out into the night and hear music hit your ears like an angel singing to you. It also has plenty of room, allowing you to move freely along with a big screen TV that shows the games on the wall of the parking garage. According to Lauren Jackson, a St. Petersburg College graduate student and Registered Nurse, “I like the Tampa Bay Lightning games. All the excitement that they have before the game and interactive things the fans can do are really awesome.”
As you can see, this building is well located. If you aren’t interested in paying up to go see the hockey team play, you can enjoy it in other ways. You can watch the game at a sports bar across the street or even the one located on-site. Afterward, you can catch the post game concert or go down to Channelside for a few drinks. Where am I? Welcome to the St. Pete Times Forum!
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
Sports and the Economy
Me in front of the St Pete Times Forum holding up the poster I made for the final Fan Appreciation Day to show my appreciation for the Lightning!
Tampa Bay Lightning players saluting fans after the final home game on April 9th, 2009!During tough economic times, everyone is pinching pennies as much as possible. Many sports teams realize this and try to help out their fan base by providing them with discounts. However, the Tampa Bay Lightning has decided to go above and beyond by offering Student Discounts to current students who possess a student identification card and Fan Appreciation Days to be held during the final four home games of the season. According to Kayla Mosley, “(Tampa Bay Lightning) Fan Appreciation days have been taking place here at the Forum for multiple seasons. These Fan Appreciation days are truly days in which our (the Tampa Bay Lightning) club can thank the fans for a great season and their unyielding support.”
Some people may ask why the Lightning offers more ways to reach out to fans as opposed to other teams. There are a few different theories on this question. People sometimes look at a team’s performance to help decide whether they will spend the money or not to see their favorite team play up close and personal. Others just decide to cut out the fun stuff altogether because they just can’t afford it in this struggling economy.
According to USF St. Petersburg Journalism major Jordan Gault, “I think that the economy, as well as the Lightning’s performance, has a large affect on the attendance at games.” He (Gault) then added, “Going to a Lightning game is one of the greatest bargains in the NHL (National Hockey League). Other teams in greater and more natural hockey markets pay a lot more for tickets and still fill the seats because of the tradition. All in all, I think the Lightning organization is doing well to think of the fans in these tough economic times.”
On the other hand, USF St. Petersburg Mass Communications major Jamie Kennedy had this to say in regard to the Student Discounts. “I think they (the ticket discounts) are geared more towards the community than the team.” She (Kennedy) then went on to mention that “granted the team does benefit from playing in an atmosphere where they feel everyone is supporting them.” However, according to Kennedy, “The tickets are more to get bodies in the door and get them spending money right away. In the box office there is even a merchandise store. There are also stores and concessions throughout the entire Forum. By saving (money) on a ticket you then have a little extra cash for a t-shirt or a second beer maybe.”
USF St Petersburg Business Major Christine Uphoff agreed with Kennedy, saying, “I think they (the ticket discounts) are very helpful for the team.” Uphoff then went on to add that, “Not only will they (the Lightning) bring in more people because of the discounted prices but I could see this as broadening a new target market by hitting the college students who are known as beer drinkers that will purchase more at concessions when they pay a lower ticket price. They (college students) are also more willing to go to games at a cheap price.”
The Tampa Bay Lightning also offers Fan Appreciation Day promotions to help make the game day experience of all fans’ more enjoyable before the regular season ends and there are no more hockey games to enjoy for a few months. This year’s Fan Appreciation days took place March 24th versus the Columbus Blue Jackets, March 29th versus the Ottawa Senators, April 7th versus the Pittsburgh Penguins and April 9th versus the Washington Capitals. Each had lots of events for fans to take part in. According to Mosley, “They (Tampa Bay Lightning) have created a diversified list of events, giveaways, raffles and unique experiences for fans that revolve around the last four games of the season. Therefore, with such unique experiences such as sitting in the press box to pressing the goal horn for a Tampa Bay Lightning goal these events are truly once in a lifetime. In addition, fans are able to socialize and receive autographs from players as they walk the red carpet of the St. Pete Times Forum. Lastly, one of the most popular events takes place at the end of the final home game and fans that were selected from a raffle are escorted onto the ice and are literally given the jersey off the players’ back.” Sports teams are like retail stores and the Lightning is no exception. Student discounts and Fan Appreciation days are the best way that they (the Lightning) can think of to thank the fans for their support and also gain some added revenue in these difficult economic times. Mosley then added, “(The) Tampa Bay Lightning takes great pride in our fan base and their continued support (of us). These days are truly a time in which we can say thank you and hopefully fulfill a few dreams and create memories for these fans.”
Some people may ask why the Lightning offers more ways to reach out to fans as opposed to other teams. There are a few different theories on this question. People sometimes look at a team’s performance to help decide whether they will spend the money or not to see their favorite team play up close and personal. Others just decide to cut out the fun stuff altogether because they just can’t afford it in this struggling economy.
According to USF St. Petersburg Journalism major Jordan Gault, “I think that the economy, as well as the Lightning’s performance, has a large affect on the attendance at games.” He (Gault) then added, “Going to a Lightning game is one of the greatest bargains in the NHL (National Hockey League). Other teams in greater and more natural hockey markets pay a lot more for tickets and still fill the seats because of the tradition. All in all, I think the Lightning organization is doing well to think of the fans in these tough economic times.”
On the other hand, USF St. Petersburg Mass Communications major Jamie Kennedy had this to say in regard to the Student Discounts. “I think they (the ticket discounts) are geared more towards the community than the team.” She (Kennedy) then went on to mention that “granted the team does benefit from playing in an atmosphere where they feel everyone is supporting them.” However, according to Kennedy, “The tickets are more to get bodies in the door and get them spending money right away. In the box office there is even a merchandise store. There are also stores and concessions throughout the entire Forum. By saving (money) on a ticket you then have a little extra cash for a t-shirt or a second beer maybe.”
USF St Petersburg Business Major Christine Uphoff agreed with Kennedy, saying, “I think they (the ticket discounts) are very helpful for the team.” Uphoff then went on to add that, “Not only will they (the Lightning) bring in more people because of the discounted prices but I could see this as broadening a new target market by hitting the college students who are known as beer drinkers that will purchase more at concessions when they pay a lower ticket price. They (college students) are also more willing to go to games at a cheap price.”
The Tampa Bay Lightning also offers Fan Appreciation Day promotions to help make the game day experience of all fans’ more enjoyable before the regular season ends and there are no more hockey games to enjoy for a few months. This year’s Fan Appreciation days took place March 24th versus the Columbus Blue Jackets, March 29th versus the Ottawa Senators, April 7th versus the Pittsburgh Penguins and April 9th versus the Washington Capitals. Each had lots of events for fans to take part in. According to Mosley, “They (Tampa Bay Lightning) have created a diversified list of events, giveaways, raffles and unique experiences for fans that revolve around the last four games of the season. Therefore, with such unique experiences such as sitting in the press box to pressing the goal horn for a Tampa Bay Lightning goal these events are truly once in a lifetime. In addition, fans are able to socialize and receive autographs from players as they walk the red carpet of the St. Pete Times Forum. Lastly, one of the most popular events takes place at the end of the final home game and fans that were selected from a raffle are escorted onto the ice and are literally given the jersey off the players’ back.” Sports teams are like retail stores and the Lightning is no exception. Student discounts and Fan Appreciation days are the best way that they (the Lightning) can think of to thank the fans for their support and also gain some added revenue in these difficult economic times. Mosley then added, “(The) Tampa Bay Lightning takes great pride in our fan base and their continued support (of us). These days are truly a time in which we can say thank you and hopefully fulfill a few dreams and create memories for these fans.”
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