When I originally saw my name on the list for a late-October blog post, I knew exactly what I was going to write about: a guide to being a Philadelphia Phillies fan in hostile New York Yankees territory. After all, the Phillies were supposed to still be playing baseball – a pre-season favorite to represent the National League in the World Series.

But alas, the cliché about “the best laid plans…often go awry” came true: the Phillies suffered an early playoff exit – and took my original blog post with it.

Not wanting to “throw the baby out with the bath water,” I figured I’d still do a Phillies-themed post. Because even though their record-breaking season didn’t end with a parade down Broad Street, I can’t help but look back on it fondly:

Sharing in the excitement of the Cliff Lee signing with friends and family back home in the wee hours of December 14…Buying my dad a “shirtsey” for each of the Phillies’ “four aces” and watching him open the box Christmas morning…Making the trip to Clearwater, Fla., for Spring Training with my sister and a friend, whose father – a big Phillies fan – had passed away just three weeks before…Treating my dad to two games at Citizens Bank Park, and marveling at how far the Phillies had come from the not-so-good ‘ol days, when his partial-season tickets meant spending money to watch a terrible team in an even worse stadium…Taking a last-minute road trip with my brother one Sunday afternoon in August to root for the away team in Washington, D.C….Enjoying Chickie’s & Pete’s Crab Fries, cold Yuengling and Dollar Dogs with my sister at “The Bank” while pulling for Roy Halladay to win his 16^th game…Being in the stands when the Phillies clinched their fifth straight NL East title.

As all of this suggests, there’s another – perhaps more important – cliché that best summarizes the season that was: “It’s not the destination, so much as the journey.”

 Only 112 days until the Phillies’ pitchers and catchers report to Clearwater. I can’t wait for the journey to start again.

-Amy

My knees ache.  My hips hurt.  My back is sore.  My soul…my soul is singing. I just started running - again.  I started running for the first time 12 years ago.  I was working with eight-time U.S. Duathlon Champion Kenny Sousa and he made running sound like it was fun.  It wasn’t.  Not at first.

The very first time I decided to give running a try, I sprinted for three (that’s not a typo) blocks, grabbed the light post for support and started hyperventilating.  The next day, I began running with a passion. I ran every day for two years while training for the San Diego Rock ‘n Roll Marathon. 

The last time I ran was March, 2007.  My nephew Frank talked me into entering the Utica Heart Run.  He was a high school track star. I was a middle-aged woman.  I agreed because I thought it was cool that he asked me (not many 18-year-olds want to be seen having fun with their aunt – especially when their aunt is wearing running tights).  I wasn’t prepared for this challenge, but I gave it the old college try. Had I still been in college, the results may have been different.

Frank completed the 10-mile-run in the same amount of time it took me to compete the three-mile-run.  As I approached the steepest part of the course – Utica’s own “Heartbreak Hill”- I barely noticed Frank striding along beside me.  I was focused on the roadside posters pointing out the seven warning signs of a stroke - four of which (shortness of breath, heart palpations, dizziness and fatigue) I was experiencing at that very moment.  While I checked my pulse and scanned the area for an EMT, Frank waved and shouted “See ya at the finish line.”  He wasn’t even breathing hard.

My goal is to run the Utica Boilermaker, July 2012.  It’s the country’s largest 15K run.  Often covered by ESPN, it attracts elite runners from around the world. I’ve participated in the race twice before and it’s fabulous.  The entire city gets involved.  As a PR professional, I applaud the marketing genius of the F.X. Matt Brewing Company.  As the event’s lead sponsor, they offer all runners Saranac Beer free of charge. Bottled water costs $2.50. 

-Karen

Happy St. Patty’s Day everyone! With the last name Sullivan I may automatically qualify as official culture ambassador, so allow me to entertain you with some fun factoids to satisfy your yearly interest in all things Irish. 

It might not come as a surprise that a holiday named after a saint actually started out as a religious holiday, and the iconic shamrock with its three leaves was originally cited as a symbol of the holy trinity. These days the number one symbol for St. Patrick’s Day is drunkenness, and there are plenty of bars you can get your Irish on with some green beer. But how else can you celebrate the nation that brought you such wonders as U2, James Joyce and the magical money-hoarding sprites called leprechauns?

Well you could run a record-breaking marathon dressed as such a leprechaun. Running may not be associated with St. Patty’s Day, but breaking world records should be. The Guinness Book of World Records itself is brought to you by Ireland, and it’s no coincidence that it shares the name with the famous Irish brew. The book was founded by the managing director of Guinness Breweries in 1954 and was originally given away as a marketing gimmick for their beer.  Now the Guinness Book holds its own record as one of the best-selling book series of all time (thanks Wikipedia!).  So if you can beat a 4 hr 22 min 08 sec marathon time in a handsome green suit, you can gain a world record and celebrate authentic Irish culture all in one go. I’ll drink (Guinness) to that!

If long distance running isn’t your thing, enjoy the holiday festivities by attending the St Patrick’s Day parade, go green, or irk your friends by pranking them with rubber snakes. Either way, enjoy the day and remember: Everyone’s Irish on March 17th!

Meg

For the past 18 weeks, I have been training for what will be my second New York Marathon.  While 26.2 miles is going the distance, I think it's important to go even further.  Fundraising is a rewarding way to remind ourselves that there are people racing to find a cure every day, and our race can be a symbol of the challenge and the reward. 

This year, I am honored to run for Project Main St., a non-profit organization that strives to improve the quality of life for individuals afflicted with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) and their families by lessening the financial burden often associated with this debilitating and invariably fatal neurological disease.  

If you are running on Sunday, November 7 or cheering for friends and family, here are a few tips:

Tips for Runners

- Write your name somewhere on your arm or shirt so the crowd can cheer for you

- Build up cheering sections along the course and in every borough; don't group all of your supporters at one mile marker

- Tell your friends and family what you'll be wearing so they can easily identify you

- Don't send supporters to more than 2 mile markers (running around town is your job!)

Tips for Fans

- Make signs, bring noise makers and scream loud

- Tell your runner what side of the street you'll be standing on so they can easily identify you

- Be sure to cheer for teams running for a cause and log on to make a donation to a charity of your choice

- Check out the ING New York Marathon Spectator Guide for more helpful insider tips

“…divide the race into thirds. Run the first part with your head, the middle part with your personality, and the last part with your heart.” - Mike Fanelli, running club coach

Lauren

Almost every Sunday morning I head to Roosevelt Field mall in Garden City, NY and patiently wait outside an attractive store front on the second floor with 30 or so other early risers.  No – I don’t run in a pack of aggressive shop-a-holics – I’m just excited for my weekly dose of free yoga at Lululemon!

Lululemon, an athletic apparel store that makes clothes for “yoga, running, dancing and most other sweaty pursuits,” has locations around the globe that offer in-store events ranging from self defense to my favorite Sunday morning routine – free yoga.  Once I found out that there was a store not more than 15 minutes from my apartment I couldn’t resist checking it out.

The store is cleared of any floor exhibits and each month instructors from one studio on Long Island are featured and demonstrate the different types of classes they have to offer, including Bikram, Vinyasa, Yogalates and more.  My favorite so far has been with an upbeat Vinyasa teacher from a studio in Freeport, NY.  As a yoga newbie I never quite knew how many different types of practice areas there were and love getting the chance to test out the various forms of yoga while at the store.  

I really look forward to these weekly, early morning sessions and love the type of healthy and calm lifestyle Lululemon promotes in their mission statement, which is posted in many places all over the store.  I would definitely recommend checking out a store near you to see what they have to offer and maybe even think of joining a class yourself! 

Namaste.

Trisha

If you want to mess with me, just throw some balloons and/or Styrofoam into my cubicle at the office and I will flip - or I used to anyway. Now I do my best to remain calm and avoid the situation when I can. It’s not the popping of the balloon (which is more of a relief than anything), or how incredibly not eco-friendly Styrofoam is, it’s that wretched squeaking/rubbing noise they make. Surprising, for someone who works in the toy industry, dealing with Styrofoam doesn’t come into my path too often – lucky me.

Exception: if I am in complete control of my meal, I can sometimes use Styrofoam plates and cups. But once someone gets reckless/starts playing with their place setting – no way, not a chance.

What’s the deal here? No idea! I didn’t have a bad experience when I was a kid or anything – it’s completely irrational! But let’s clear the air: I’m not scared of balloons and Styrofoam! I don’t think they are going to hurt me; I just can’t be around it without my all of my alarms flashing red. So instead of saying I’m scared of balloons and Styrofoam, I say I really dislike (hate is such a strong word) Styrofoam and balloons.

So now you know – you have my kryptonite at your disposal and if you want to send me a big ol’ box of packing peanuts, go ahead. But really, don’t do it – I’ll get angry, and you wouldn’t like me when I get angry!

Hunter Public Relations staff members love a good survey, I decided to poll them about their (irrational) phobias, quirks, pet peeves and other strong dislikes. Below are some of the better answers I got back. Do NOT involve these things with any staff members you may meet – be easy, bro.

Food

Cold meat (e.g. cold cuts), the smell of Subway restaurants, the smell of burnt popcorn, fish, shredded coconut, General Taos Chicken, sour cream, olives, cottage cheese, snapping/chewing gum – chewing anything crunchy (apples/carrots) – chewing with mouth open

Habits/Humanity

Loud cell phone talkers / loud car stereo systems / crying babies, Red Sox and Flyers fans (we got two votes for the Red Sox), picking/biting/cutting nails in public, Med students’ stories, when people wear black and brown, when people don’t know how to properly hold their fork and knife, slow walkers/people take up the entire sidewalk, when people confuse it’s with its, baby hands (to clarify: not baby’s hands, but small adult hands), people who pee on toilet seats, short people who can’t hold umbrellas at a decent height, people who use personal checks at the grocery store,  grocery baggers who put soft things at the bottom and hard things on the top, people who clog the Facebook News Feed with application (Farmville) updates, extra exclamation points in emails (!!!!!!), when people say “like” every third word, people that insist on walking up escalators when there are stairs right next to it – people who don’t walk down escalators or walk on moving walkways

Things

Waiting in traffic, when dust and dirt get stuck to your feet, when people in TV shows and movies don’t say goodbye as they’re hanging up the phone, slimy subway poles, the smell of lilies, driving over bridges, when people stand in front of the doorway on the subway and then don’t get off at the next stop, eels, dentistry/talking about teeth, beverage condensation on a clean table, cotton balls, cluttered spaces

Danny

In just a few short hours, millions of soccer (or should I say football) fans across the globe will tune in for the kickoff of the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa. With more than 136,000 U.S. fans in attendance, we’re sure to hear rousing chants of U-S-A circling the stadium.

To give soccer novices a little background, the World Cup is held every four years and is undoubtedly the most prestigious competition in the world of soccer. Over a one-month period, 32 teams will compete to claim the title of World Champion – not to mention, major bragging rights!

The festivities begin tonight, the eve of the opening match, with the Kick-Off Celebration Concert. The show starts at 2:00 PM (EST) and VEVO is planning to webcast all of the action, including performances by Alicia Keys, The Black Eyed Peas, John Legend, Shakira and more. Don’t forget to tune in to ABC on Saturday, June 12 at 2:30 PM (EST) as Team U.S.A. squares off against England.

New Yorkers in search of places to watch the games can check out Metromix New York’s “Where to Watch” list.  

And, if you’d like to do your homework before the games begin, refer to “The top players to watch in South Africa” list on the NY Daily News website. 

Jennie Long

As an all around sports fan, I love the Olympics.  I love the competition.  I love the excitement. But most of all, I love the useless sports that draw me to the television like a moth to a flame. Like curling.  Every four years, I spend two weeks routing for Team USA’s curling squad, equipped with brooms and beer guts, as they strategically place their rocks in the house. 

For those of you who don’t understand what I would like to call “The Most Exciting Sport Since Go Fish,” let me enlighten you to the basics:

- Curling is similar to a huge shuffle board game on ice.

- Two teams of four alternate sliding huge stones, called rocks, down a long stretch towards a circular target called a house.

- During each match, both teams have ten attempts to get their rock closest to the center of the house.

- The team that successfully wins the most matches out of ten is the overall victor.

Right now, you might be saying, “Curling doesn’t sound like my cup of tea.  I like contact sports like hockey.” I’m here to set the record straight and tell you that curling, in fact, is a full contact sport. For example, when your opponent has the extreme athletic ability to slide his/her rock into the center of the house perfectly, it’s time to play defense.  On the next turn, you would throw your rock straight down the lane knocking his stone and sending it flying out of the house. And I ask you, my friend, what is more contact than two 25 lb. stones hitting each other?

While this description might not convey the intensity of the greatest winter sport ever, I invite you to take the time during the next week and watch a game. I promise that after spending some quality time enjoying a curling match, this sport will “rock” your world.

Dan

I wouldn’t consider myself an avid football fan; quite frankly I have never been to a professional football game in my life.  But when I was invited to attend the Super Bowl, by one of Hunter PR’s clients, Diageo, to help with events they were sponsoring, I couldn’t resist.   Needless to say, I received many bribes of shoes in exchange for my ticket, but I politely passed. 

So I packed two big bags filled with an absurd amount clothing and shoe options and I was off.  I landed in Miami and made my way through the sea of black, blue and green (yes, they were still there) jerseys to my hotel. 

I met my client to begin our evening at the Eden Roc hotel, where the jerseys disappeared and I was transported into a room of tube tops, blue blazers, button downs and ripped jeans.  The lights went down and I heard “sippin on gin and juice.”  I was about five feet away from Snoop Dogg performing, and although I haven’t listened to Snoop since 1994, it was a great start to my Super Bowl experience.

Celebrity sighting – Jessica Alba – in the ladies room.

The next day was spent organizing items for that evening’s event and enjoying a leisurely lunch at outside. Hundreds of people were walking up and down Ocean Drive, screaming “who dat” to each other and I was confused.  I asked my friend what that meant.  She laughed and told me that maybe I should have taken the shoes!

Celebrity sighting – Chris Rock – getting into a black SUV. 

On Saturday night Ciroc Vodka sponsored the Wyclef party at the Edun Roc.  Wyclef rocked out on stage and performed for three hours, with a surprise appearance by LL Cool J, singing “Mama Said Knock You Out,” another great throw back to the mid-90s.  Even though we were enjoying Wyclef from our table, which was about 20 feet away, we wanted to go backstage.  So we did – and just in time for a solid rendition of “Redemption Song,” one of my personal favorite Bob Marley tunes.  But I prefer to watch the performance, so I left my friend backstage and went back to our table, where I finally remembered that I had my camera and snapped this shot.

Celebrity Sighting – Nick Lachey – sipping Jose Cuervo Platino.

Finally game day had arrived and I was ecstatic.  My first football game and it was the Super Bowl…does it get better than that?  We left the hotel around 1pm and attended a pre-party where I saw something that still makes me laugh.  This man super-glued a mini Saints helmet to his head.  That is dedication. 

 We arrived at the stadium and walked through a maze to finally find where we were going.  Steve Winwood was playing as we arrived and there were people of all ages smiling and cheering and eating and drinking and spending time with their friends.

Celebrity Sighting – Ed Westwick and Jessica Szohr – walking in three feet behind me.

I met my friend, who works in the sports industry for a quick bite (chicken tenders), but we had to leave him when he went to his seats in the 400 section and we had to head down to section 106…literally 20 rows behind the field. 

 But I did try to look for my friend…

By the second quarter, I found myself jumping out of my seat and cheering along with the rest of the crowd.  The energy in the stadium, the amazing game, the weather in Miami was all perfection.  But, there was one thing that was missing.  And it was something that I was looking forward to….

Where was Kim Kardashian?

Stacey

One thing the Hunter PR staff loves is a good, healthy dose of competition.  And I’m not talking about work-related competition – I’m talking football!  For the past seven years, Amy Coles has been running the “Hunter PR Gridiron Gurus” NFL football pool.  Sure, the monetary winnings are great, but in this office, it’s all about the bragging rights!

There are few of us veteran players that enter the pool every year and place much like former Miami Dolphins Quarterback Dan Marino in the Super Bowl – never coming out victorious.   Then, of course, there are the rookies who join the pool for the first time and place high up at the top.  We’ll call them the Mark Sanchez’s of the world (editor’s note: I’m a huge New York Jets fan!).  I’m proud to say in my six-year NFL career at Hunter PR, I finally came out on top this year.  But it was close; rookie Dan DeVece and veteran all-star players Amanda Hirschhorn and Amy Coles were right on my heels the entire time.  Check out my cool “Goddess of the Gridiron” trophy that I get to display at my desk year round:

Since I’m now 1-5 in my football pool record, I’m hoping this will mean I’ll actually fair better in upcoming Hunter PR pools like March Madness and the Gigi Russo baby pool.  Either way, I’ve got bragging rights….at least for now!

Mel