1993_09 Insight September 1993

              September 15,1993
Sports
Insight/California State University, Fresno
Page 7
New sports bar
to hit Fresno
"Fresno Live" will
feature a basketball
court, boxing ring.
By Lee Cendana    	
Staff Writer '
Friday's, Winker's, Bisla's and the
Wild Blue, move over.
Fresno will have a new and BIGGER night spot offering more lhan
just drinks and dancing.
A sports bar corporation, owned
by Charlie Greener, based out of Dallas, Texas, is looking to come to
Fresno as early as this fall.
The new facility will be called,
"Fresno Live" or "America Live in
Fresno" and is planned to be located
in the Manchester Shopping Center,
said Al Bondi, promotional manager
in ihe San Jose office.
"Fresno Live" will be targeied lo
all sports lovers over 21 with different bars offering various themes,
Bondi said.
A cover charge has not been decided yet.
Haborage Inc., the parent company, now has sports bars in many
stales, including Missouri, West Virginia and California.
San Jose is the only city in California to have one of Greener's sports
bars, which iscalled, "San Jose Live."
Sacramento is scheduled to open
business by October, with Fresno
following.
The new sports bar plans lo make
entertainment an important part of
night life.
Following the same format as "San
Jose Live," "Fresno Live" will have
at least five bars, with differeni
themes, under one roof.
One of the more popular themes,
which attract a slightly more professional crowd in "San Jose Live." is
the piano bar.
"The guys that sing and play the
piano are hilarious," said 22-year-
old Casey Knowles.asenior at CSUF.
"I'm sure it will go over well here in
Fresno."
Denise Sukle, 22, a CSUF junior,
recently attended a friend's
bachclorette party at "San Jose Live,"
located in the downtown area of the
city, and agrees with Knowles.
She said that the piano bar "was
the greatest. They embarrassed my
friend and everyone there laughed at
her, it was a great time."
Knowles said he likes the different types of entertainment that
"Fresno Live" will offer.
He said that "San Jose Live" has
an arcade that covers half of the second floor.
It has "aboul 20 pool tables, golf
driving and baseball cages, a fenced-
in basketball court, a dance floor in a
boxing ring and bars in every cor-
The facility is extremely sports-
oriented and San Jose patrons say
that if they don't want to partake in
what's offered ihey can watch sports
onT.V.
"The bar will have four big sateens
and 31 hanging TV's," Bondi said.
Haborage Inc. hopes the new night
spot will add variety to Fresno night
life.
Bondi said "Fresno Live" will
offer something the Fresr.c public *
has never seen.
The restaurant and snack bar will
have a family atmosphere until 6
p.m., and regarding the activities:
"It's a first class job. It looks flashy
and slays flashy. It won't die the next
month because of lack of interest in
the company. We go for ihe gusto,"
Bondi said.
Cheryl Phares, 21, of Bakersfield.
a CSUF senior said, "People get tired
of the same thing every weekend. It
will be good to have a change."
"Wiih so many different things
it's more lhan a just bar and dance
floor.
"It has goi to be the most fun place
io go."
Elda Jurado, 21, of Dos Palos,
says the club will offer Fresno a new
twist in entertainment.
"There's nothing likelr in Fresno.
There's no variety of nightlife here
and there isn't a place that caters lb
all kinds of people."
Football season seat
totals shatter record
Record sale of 27,900
tickets breaks 1986
season ticket record
By Nick Giannandrea
Staff Writer
A landmark victory for the Fresno
Slate football team and the promise
of a stellar season led to record-breaking season ticket sales Tor the 1993
campaign.
The Bulldog football ticket office
reported 27,900 season tickets were
sold for the 41,000-seai Bulldog Stadium.
This broke the record of 27,440
sot in 1986 and up approximately
2,900 from last season.
Sparking season ticket sales was
ihc Bulldogs 24-7 win against the
University of Southern California in
December's Freedom Bowl.
CSUF ticket manager Terry Johnson offered additional reasons for
ihe increased interest.
"Nol only arc we a better team ,>but
the quality of teams coming in are
better," Johnson said.
"It's the most attractive home
schedule we've ever had."
In 1986, ticket buyers came out in
force after a 11-0-1 season and a
California Raisin Bowl victory over
Bowling Green.
An added attraction was former
quarterback Kevin Sweeney's pursuit of the NCAA's all-time passing
yardage record.
This season. Bulldog fans have
the opportunity to watch a Hcisman
Trophy candidate in quarterback
Trent Dilfer and a home schedule
that includes Oregon Stale. Utah
State, Air Force, UTEP, Hawaii and
San Diego Stale.
Johnson said budgetary problems
the last two years was in part responsible for the decrease in student season ticket sales.
"The increase in student fees led
to a decrease in the money students
had to spend," Johnson said. "Now
they have money to spend."
Students said they purchased season tickets for a variety of reasons.
"Lam an avid Bulldogs fan, have
been for years," senior Tom Skov, a
22-year-old business major, said.
"It's a good lime."
"I go for the party atmosphere,
before, during and after the games,"
junior Kent Marc he so, a 22-year-old
mass communications major, said.,
The Bulldogs pul on a great ail-
gate program.
"It's a great place to get together
and watch a hell of a football game
and it also shows school pride,"
Marcheso said.
Sophomore Chris Rice said it's
the best thing to do on a Saturday
nighl.
"It's a rage," the 19-year-old business major said, "and you get to watch
some good football."
Some students look forward io ihe
Saturday night games as a way to pul
a busy week of school work behind
them.
"It's 100 percent relaxation," said
junior Jeremy Scibert, a 20- year -old
business major.
"There is no thought involved, jusl
kick back and watch football," he
said.
Fresno State Bulldogs Football
Coach Jim Sweeney appreciates the
support from the fans for the program.
"It's definitely a pleasure to get in
front of the Red Wave." Sweeney
said.
Fresno State's Anthony Daigle carries the ball
48-30 last Saturday night.
Strrc R. KujImodVINSIGHT
over the top to help the Bulldogs defeat Oregon State
Professional Jabber
Bv Tom Altobelll
Major league 'facelift' for sports
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Baseball's new format
of three divisions is a
copycat ofthe NFL.
As I'm sure you've heard by
now. Major League Baseball has
adopted a new formal of dividing
each league into three divisions,
similar to the NFL.
From a purist's point of view,
I'm against the new playoff system of having wildcard teams
making the playoffs and having
another round of playoffs.
People keep telling me that the
season is too long and they get
bored with all of those games.
Next season's opening games
will start April 3 and Game 7 of
the World Series would be OCTOBER 30!! That's over six
months of baseball. That's ridiculous.
From a logical point of view,
the realignment of the teams into
different divisions has been
needed for years.
Why are the Chicago Cubs in
the Eastern Division and the Chicago White Sox in the Western
Division?
Who was ihc smart geographer
thai put Atlanta and Cincinnati in
the West and St. Louis and Chicago in thcF.ast?
The scary thing is, as of this
writing, Atlanta, Florida and
Pittsburgh have not yel been
placed into one of the three divisions
Can't you just see the shirts
being printed now: "PITTSBURGH PIRATES. 1995 WESTERN DIVISION CHAMPS!!"
Baseball is nol the only sport
that is geographically off-centered.
In ihe NFL, why is the Indianapolis Colts in the East and the
Pittsburgh Steclers in the Central?
I know the Colls used to be in
Baltimore, but that was years ago.
It's just like the Phoenix Cardinals in Ihc NFC Eastern Division
and ihc Atlanta Falcons in the
NFC Western Division.
Why is the Dallas Cowboys in
the NFC East and Tampa Bay in
the NFC Central? Why is New
Orleans in the West? And they
say baseball needs improvements.
Okay, enough of that. Do you
realize the Los Angeles Kings will
be the last Campbell Conference
Champions ever?
To help Americanize this truly
non-American sport, ihe National
Hockey League will no longer
have ihc divisions and conferences named after the game's
founding fathers. The Smythe,
Norris, Patrick and Adams Divisions along with the Campbell and
Wales Conferences will be
changed to divisionsof direction.
Exciting names like...EASTERN
and WESTERN.
According to Gary Bettman,
the League's Commissioner,
changing the names will help ihc
new fan keep track of nis or her
favorite team. They'll probably
change the Stanley Cup's name to
"Big Trophy."
As difficult as hockey is to
understand and follow, knowing
the division and conference names
will be the least of a new fan's
worries.
If there are any other fans out
there that love old, unique stadiums, such as the Boston Garden
or Wrigley Field, you will be saddened by this bit of information.
Chicago Stadium, home of the
Chicago Bulls and Blackhawks
for 65 years will be torn down at
the end of the upcoming season.
As I am originally from Chicago, losing this great sporting
facility to time and weathering is
a tremendous loss to fans all
across America, especially to me.
There's something mystical
aboul attending sporting events
in old stadiums like this. The
years of tradition and memories
become apart of you.
Looking down at the court or
the ice and thinking about how
many great athletes have played
there, how many championships
have been won there, how many
millions of fathers have taken
there kids there sends a chill inside you that is unlike any other.
It's a feeling you will never forget.
If you get the chance, visit
Wrigley Field, Boston Garden,
Tiger Stadium or Fenway Park
before they, too, aYe taken away
from you forever."
New baseball divisions effective 1994
American League
West      Genual
1. Oakland Athleucs • • Chicago White Sox
2. California Angels 2- Cleveland Indians
3. Seattle Mariners 3. Kansas City Royals
4. Texas Rangers 4- Milwaukee Brewers
National League
East
5. Minnesota Twins
1. New York Yankees 4. Detroit Tigers
2. Baltimore Orioles     5. Toronto Blue Jays
3. Boston Red Sox
West
1. San Fransisco Giants
2. Los Angeles dgcrs
3. Colorado Rockies
4. San Diego Padres
East
1. New York Mets
2. Montreal Expos
3. Philadelphia Phillies
Editor's Note: Atlanta. Pittsburgh and Florida have not yet placed into divisions
Central
1. Chicago Cubs
2. Cincinnati Reds
3. Houston Astros
4. Sl Louis Cardinals