Author Archives: Bobby Cherry

There’s no place like Erie and there’s nothing like great friends

I had a chance to get to Erie this past weekend. For those who know me, you know that I love Erie and everything it has to offer. There is no better place in the world.

I always have fun in Erie, and this weekend was no exception. My 24-hour visit included a SeaWolves game, Sara’s, Wegmans and a friend’s baby’s first birthday party. There never is enough time to experience all of Erie.

I traveled with a good friend of mine who is, for the most part, unfamiliar with Erie. So it’s always great to introduce somebody else to all of what Erie has to offer. He had been with me and another friend in February when we went to an Otters game.

After living there for awhile and going there each summer as a child, I’ve grown to love and respect the lake town. I’ve always said that Erie has EVERYTHING a big city has, just on a smaller scale. I’ve never found a town with more things to do in all four seasons than I have in Erie.

The great thing about Erie — and probably why it continues to shine — is that the city and county don’t need anything big or sparkly or attractive or commercialized to get people to visit. The beaches, the great sports teams, the history, the food, the shopping, the wineries — what the heck else do you need to have a great time?

What I found most unexpected in this trip was the quality time my friend and I were able to spend together. The car ride to and from Erie offered a lot of time to talk about stuff we’ve never been able to for an extended period of time — or, for that matter, in person. And the hotel night also was fun as we watched TV until about 4 a.m.

While the SeaWolves game on Saturday was a bit chilly, it still was a good time. The SeaWolves lost to Altoona, though. But it still provided a great time filled with lots of entertainment. Summer games are better than early season games, but I can never get to enough SeaWolves games!

Seeing a few great friends of college helped to make the weekend even better. They’re two of my best pals from college and I rarely see them. It was fun to blend old and new friends.

Trips to Erie always are too short. After living there for a bit, I hate feeling like a visitor in a city I love so dearly.

One of these days, I’ll get there for an extended trip like I did a few summers ago. There’s so much to experience in Erie!

Keep drinkin’ that Kool-Aid

The front office staff of the Pittsburgh Pirates would like to thank the 39,000-plus fools who attended Thursday’s home opener. Your continued support will allow the Pirates to keep offering bad baseball in Pittsburgh.

Here we are, entering our 19th consecutive year of bad professional baseball on Pittsburgh’s North Side.

The embarrassing on-field performances shouldn’t solely be based on the players. The team members who have made up the roster over that time have done exactly what they’ve been hired to do — play baseball.

We’ve read the stories detailing profits made by front office staff at the Pirates. We’ve painstakingly watched 18 years of bad baseball.

And still, people continue to show up on opening day — and throughout the season. But why?

Many of the comments I heard today centered around this: “It was a great day spent with friends.”

Oh yeah? So you paid at least $20 to get into a ballpark, at least $7 for each beer and about $6 for nachos just to have a good time with friends? Call me crazy, but there are cheaper (and more entertaining ways) to spend time with friends.

But let’s look even deeper at this issue. Those who continue to be complacent are not able to see beyond their statement of it being a nice day with friends. They refuse to accept reality.

If these people truly enjoyed baseball the way they claim to, they’d divert their money and efforts to other forms of sporting entertainment. For instance, the Washington Wild Things have offered excellent, victorious seasons surpassing that of the Pirates. The Altoona Curve, Erie SeaWolves and Mahoning Valley Scrappers also offer great, competitive baseball — things you don’t get from the Pirates.

Yes, PNC Park offers a great view of the city, but think about how much more fun you’d be having if the team actually was good. Now THAT would be a lot of fun — to go to a game, cheer for a great team and leave knowing you saw a competitive team, to cheer for winners and get to see playoffs and experience that playoff atmosphere that you so often get with the Steelers and Penguins.

I love baseball. It was the only sport I truly enjoyed playing growing up. It is the only sport I truly enjoy watching in person in a stadium. Working for a baseball team was one of the most rewarding jobs I ever had. And I love the underdog — being from Pittsburgh makes me love underdogs.

But the Pirates are no underdogs. To be an underdog, you have to be competitive.

Supporting the Pirates is like supporting an alcoholic. You know it’s not going to end well, but you keep doing it.

There is a myriad of Pittsburghers, like myself, who love the Penguins, Steelers and Pirates. But as a Pittsburgher who loves sports and loves black and gold. Sometimes, the best love is tough love.

The closeted online dater

In this twoday magazine column, I write about how online dating services still have a stigma.

With an estimated 20 million users checking in at least once a month, online dating sites seem as commonplace as updating your Facebook status. It seems everybody knows somebody who’s signed up. And, we’ve all seen the commercials of various dating sites touting their skills at being 21st century matchmakers.

Heck, I’ll even be attending a wedding later this year of a friend who found her soon-to-be husband online. And neither of them seemed shy to say, “Hey, we met online!”

Still, as common as it might seem, finding true love online carries a stigma. Would you admit to having an online matchmaking profile? I sure as hell wouldn’t, even though I do … well, did.

Take a gander at this piece by clicking here.

Finally tasted Five Guys

There’s something very high school-ish about the name of popular fast food burger joint, Five Guys.

Any time somebody enters the place, I find tweets exclaiming, “I’ve got Five Guys in my mouth!” or something similar.

There are (to my knowledge) at least three local Five Guys establishments. Rumor has it, at least one more is on the way.

I’d never been to Five Guys until recently.

Based on my experience, the place doesn’t deserve the hype it gets. Take away the fun name and you’re left with a burger and fries that, at least on my first visit, don’t make the list of Top 10 greatest burgers ever eaten.

Was it bad? No.

But there generally was no ‘wow’ factor to the meal.

I also was amazed at how expensive the meal was. For $11 and some change, I got a bacon cheeseburger, fries and a drink. That seemed a bit expensive for a fast food joint, especially if you compare the size and quality of the burger to one at another restaurant.

The restaurant is mostly stark white — as in, emergency room, hospital white. The few wall hangings include good press from newspapers and other media outlets from across the nation.

On the Saturday I visited, I must have hit the lunch rush as there were few empty tables. Though, by the end of my time there, most customers had cleared out, leaving the place mainly empty.

Five Guys didn’t earn a strike on my “Three Strikes” list — it’s what it sounds like, “three strikes and you’re out.” A restaurant has to earn three strikes (each from a different visit) before I decide to never go there again. Only two restaurants have struck out — Applebee’s and Smokey Bones.

I’d certainly visit again. But Five Guys is not a place I’d drive out of my way to visit or even suggest to friends, especially with a multitude of other, much better, options nearby.