Wednesday, November 29, 2006

Baltimore: Bar Fights, Bad Manners and Beatles

Went to Baltimore last week to visit Matt and Allison. Reminded me why I miss my Maryland driver's license.

Highlights include...

Getting stuck in the middle of a BigTen fight at ESPN Zone, when a Penn State fan and Michigan fan went at it during the Ohio State/Michigan game. Two opposing fans on both sides of me and Matt. It kinda played out like this:

Michigan Fan: "Why are you wearing Penn State gear? Your team SUCKS."
Penn State Fan: "Talk to me when your team wins. Did you even go to Michigan?"
M: "I don't have to go there to be a fan."
P: "Did you even go to college?"
M: "No, I'm a fan -- fuck off."
P: "Did you even play football?"
M: "In high school."
P: "High school... ha. Whatever."
M: "Did you?"
P: "Yes."
M: "Where at?"
P: "The Naval Academy."
M: "Then... shut the fuck up -- you, and your girl too."
P: "That girl happens to be my wife. Wanna take this outside?"
M: (drunk pause)
P: (gets up and stands behind M) "Let's go outside and settle this, punk."

Luckily, Michigan Fan had a (more) sober friend who realized that fighting a Naval Academy graduate was probably a lost cause. Especially when he is a Penn State fan (I'm biased). And especially since Michigan was losing the game.

Perhaps the most uncomfortable moment of recent times. That is, until 2 hours later when we went to dinner in Little Italy...


A bunch of Ravens fans and their wives were treating the place like a bar... getting their own drinks and bypassing the waitress... singing "New York, New York" at the top of their lungs... the host told them they were too drunk for a nice restaurant and that they were ruining the experience of other customers. The Chief Ravens Fan then tried to kick the crap out of the owner and his buddies. The valet worker called the cops on them when Chief Ravens Fan tried to beat him up (he refused to give them their car keys). The valet worker came in to see the owner, who was sitting at a table with two attractive women. "Cops gave him a nice pair of bracelets" (read: "Haha, he's in the back of the squadcar!").

Meanwhile, as fights broke out left and right, the sweet piano man was coming around asking for requests. I told him I liked the Beatles and he played "Here Comes the Sun," "Michelle," "Hey Jude," "Something," and "Let It Be" -- just for me.

There's something about harbor towns like Baltimore... they have a different kind of character and composition than other towns... nice to pay a visit once in awhile and get away from the landlocked city of Atlanta.

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