Back Home in Omaha

I'll never forget my first College World Series. I went with my older brother and my dad. We had perfect seats. They were in the Grandstand, almost directly behind home plate, two or three rows from the top.

It was an afternoon game that ended up lasting well into the night.
Miami was going head-to-head with Tennessee, two powerhouse programs. The game proved to be wild. It set three new records, including most hits (41) and most wild pitches (7).
The guys in front of us were from Omaha, and they were craking jokes about Iowa left and right.

"Napkins on a roll? Those look more like toilet paper, must be from Iowa!"

"This game is taking so long we won't even get to the bars before they close. Wait, not if we go to Iowa. Their bars are open a whole hour longer!"

I couldn't help but laugh. There is just something about that atmosphere that puts me in a great mood.

Of course, they didn't make it to the bar that night. In fact, no one dared to leave early. It was 11 pm and hardly anyone from the nearly 24,000 fan crowd had moved.

No one in their right mind would want to miss the end of this game. When it was all said and done, Miami beat Tennessee 21 to 13 in four hours and 21 minutes. The length was another record-setter at the time.

Ever since that night, I have been hooked on the College World Series. I love everything about it, from the fans to the field. Even the challenge of finding a parking spot is more of an adventure than a hassle.

Lucky for me, one of my best friend's family has season tickets for those seats I sat in at my very first game. I've been back every year since, except for this year.

My friend is overseas for the summer, so I have no ticket and no one to go with. It made me sad, but I've been fortunate enough to watch some great baseball on television.

There's something about the College World Series. It has a purity that no other sporting event can rival. It has been held in Rosenblatt Stadium for more than half a century.
The CWS has become as much a part of life in Omaha as concerts at Memorial Park and going to the Henry Doorly Zoo.

I had a game on television at work the other day when a coworker walked in.

"The College World Series?" He asked excitedly."What game is it?"

"You like college baseball?" I asked him.

"Yeah! I'm from Nebraska."

I should have known.

This year is the fifty-eighth time that the College World Series is being played at Rosenblatt Stadium, and it's one of the last.

Why, with such a rich tradition and a great fan-friendly atmosphere would anyone want to move the Series?

Yet for years, other cities have been trying to entice the NCAA to let them hold the tournament.
No longer is it for the love of the game. Now it's for the love of money. The city had to build a newer, fancier stadium in downtown Omaha to keep the tournament around.

No more cheap bleacher seats in the outfield where shouts of "Left field sucks!" by the opponents' fans were as common as a blistering sunburn.

They're going to be replaced by fancy sky boxes and luxury suites, great for those able to drop a few grand for a ticket. Not so great for the rest of us.

No more days of the $1.00 pizza at the Freschetta truck right outside the stadium. It was so popular people were buying them by the pie, not just the slice.

Now I won't even need an excuse to buy that $12.00 blooming onion.

It used to be about the players and the fans. Athletes dreamed of making it to Omaha. That was the goal. There was even a song written about it. Fans have been loyal to this series. They return year after year. The waiting list for season tickets is as long as Santa's shopping list. The family I go with wouldn't ever dream of giving their tickets up. And that's been fun too. They have the same seats every year, and so do the people sitting around them. They've practically grown up together.

The family whose seats are in front of theirs?

The father never misses a game. He takes the entire series off from work and attends every game. Guaranteed, he's sitting in the same seat taking stats in his play by play book.
He has twin daughters who were maybe five years old the first time I met them. One had poison ivy. Now they're in middle school. They have a younger brother and sister, and they all come to the tournament every year.

The College World Series has become the highlight of my summer, as I'm sure it is for many people. But after this year, it won't be the same. When did America's favorite past time become more about money and less about baseball?