I don’t like to make a habit of using this blog as a platform for negativity, but sometimes there’s a story to be told and this is a mighty fine platform for it, so here goes.

Last night I had a pretty ridiculous experience, and one I feel worth sharing for a number of reasons. Let me start with this: there is surely no shortage of good restaurants in Houston. Last night I decided to meet a good friend at Reef in Midtown for dinner and drinks. Just six blocks away, the Lakers, who had just arrived in town to take on their old “buddy” Dwight and the rest of the Rockets were set to tip off in a few minutes.

I got to the restaurant first, and made the executive decision to sit at the bar off to the side instead of the main dining area. Being the avid sports fan I am, I asked if they had TVs at the bar and if the Rockets game would be on. The hostess said “oh absolutely,” and immediately my excitement level went up another notch. I get to enjoy conversations with a great friend, delicious food from Executive Chef Bryan Caswell, and one of the biggest games all season, a primetime showing of two teams with a lot to prove, featuring our very own Houston Rockets.

Winner winner chicken dinner! (Sorry, I couldn’t resist that easy pun.)

Since it was a late game (8:30 start time), we enjoyed a few glasses of champagne then asked the bartender to turn one of the three TVs to the Rockets game. The TV to my far left was on the Oregon/Stanford game (a distinct rivalry and with a lot on the line for two ranked teams) and the other two were on the Thursday Night Football game featuring the (then) 1-6 Vikings and 3-5 Redskins. I was told those two TVs were connected so the same game had to be shown on both (um, not my fault you have it rigged like the projects). The bartender informed me someone else was watching the NFL game and couldn’t change it.

Hold up. We’re in Houston and six blocks away from the Toyota Center, where your HOMETOWN Rockets are playing the Los Angeles LAKERS and you won’t turn the game on? A rare primetime showing that CSN doesn’t actually have their grubby little Monopoly hands on and is featured on TNT where fans can enjoy the game and you won’t put it on?

“Can I speak to a manager please?” I politely asked.

Here’s where it gets fun for you reading the story and not-so-fun for the sports fan in me living the story:

I introduced myself to the unfriendly and fairly unkempt woman in charge, who simply said, “ok.”

Wait, isn’t it common courtesy to introduce yourself back especially when you are managing this establishment (where our tab was already sitting at $150)? Not to mention this is good ole Texas, home of southern hospitality and friendliness, am I right?

She informed me she wouldn’t change the game because someone else was watching the Vikings (hello, the Vikings!?), nor did she seem to give a damn I specifically asked about the Rockets being on TV before I even sat down and spent a penny. I also felt the need to ask how long this other group had been there since I had already been there an hour and didn’t feel it was necessary or appropriate to ask for a channel to be set an hour before actual gametime. Little did I know you basically had to call “shotgun” at this award-winning and highly touted restaurant to call dibs on a television.

Not even an apology was offered when I explained that the hostess had promised the game would be on. To be honest, an apology probably would have appeased me for the moment.

Let me be very clear: I did not go to the Reef to watch the Rockets game. I got excited when I saw the TVs tuned to sports and when I was told the game would be shown. Truth be told, had I wanted to go to the game that bad, I would have been at the game.

Then comes this: “If you’re such a big sports fan and the game is only six blocks away, why aren’t you at the game?

Ok, first of all, perhaps a good point, but as someone who goes to more than 70% of home games, not only because I enjoy it, but because it’s my JOB, I wanted a break and to enjoy good-non-stadium food. Second of all, that’s your home team and something deep in my being tells me that many folks within the Rockets organization drop quite a few dollar bills in this exact establishment, including many of their fans, sponsors, advertisers, etc.

BUT THAT ISN’T EVEN THE POINT. The point is, you don’t want to support your hometown team and you want to be rude to me in the process of your unsupportive ways?

Then there’s this: about 20 minutes before any of this happened, I was introduced to Bryan Caswell, the Executive Chef. To be frank, he’s a pretty awkward conversationalist. I told him I enjoy the food at Minute Maid so much more since he took over and commended his work.

After this we-refuse-to-put-the-Rockets-on-TV-issue, I sat there eating my seared tuna and brussel sprouts, pretty much steaming when Caswell walked by again.

I asked him to come over, told him the food was delicious (because it absolutely was) and informed him of the issue I just had. His response might be the best/worst part:

“Well, we’re not a sports bar…”

Oh really genius? You’re not? I took a minute, swallowed my champagne and looked at him in disbelief.

My response back went pretty much like this:

I’m not sure if it’s the fur vest or the Michael Kors suede knee-high boots I’m wearing that makes you think I was under the impression I was at a sports bar, but I’m pretty well aware this isn’t a sports bar. Considering what I do for a living, I’m pretty tapped into what constitutes a sports bar and furthermore, which ones are the best ones in Houston. Secondly, if I wanted a $10 basket of greasy chicken fingers and honey mustard along with a draft beer in an ice-cold mug served by wait staff with  cleavage upon cleavage, I would have gone to one. Instead I opted for a $33 entree, appetizers and drinks (all of the drinks were over $12, so again, not a typical sports bar).

Hey Caswell and Reef: not my first rodeo.

I’m not sure why I had to beg to get that game on (of all games) or why I had to sit through a lecture informing me Reef was not a sports bar, but I’m downright disappointed and it’s a shame too because my meal was delicious. But here’s the thing – if you can’t support your local sports team and you’re going to talk to me like I was at the Barnum & Bailey Circus, then perhaps I better make dinner reservations at a restaurant that appreciates my patronage as well as our local sports team.

I also wish I had the name of the former bartender/now server who made our lemon drop martinis because he was last night just as he’s always been: AMAZING. That was the only solid piece of customer service during our visit.

And let me end with this Reef/Caswell/Grumpy Woman Manager: YOU are the ones who installed TVs in your bar, NOT ME. YOU are the ones who had games on before I even arrived. YOU are the ones who told me the Rockets game would be on. It’s not like I asked you to put Sammy Davis and Louis Armstrong in the corner in order to highlight this barbaric game playing with balls.

I hope Rockets fans (along with Texans, Astros and Dynamo fans), read this and think twice before supporting a restaurant that is not only rude to customers but gives preferential treatment to the Vikings and Redskins, over their hometown Houston teams.

 

As part of being selected a Women’s Health Action Hero, I’m charged with putting together an informal & friendly 10k, right here in Houston, TX. This particular 10k will not be a large/timed event, it will be pretty much the opposite, but fun and for a good cause!

On Saturday, October 26th at 10a, a handful of us are meeting at Memorial Park to run two laps (a 10k!). You can sprint, jog, walk, bring your dog, your baby stroller, come hungover, anything goes.

The race is part of the Run10Feed10 Series with Women’s Health – the cost is $28 to register – BUT you get an awesome FEED canvas bag (like the celebs carry around and pictured above), koozies from The Blonde Side & Bud Light, AND the best part: your registration fee AUTOMATICALLY feeds 10 people RIGHT HERE in Houston. So your donation to run this awesome morning stays right here in our city, which is awesome.

To sign up for the 10k:
1. Go to Run10Feed10.com
2. Top of page, click Run Registration, in the drop down menu, select Run My Own 10k
3. Once you sign up, please send me an email (jayme@theblondeside.com) so I can keep in touch with you in case of any changes

To donate:
If you can’t run, don’t want to run, aren’t in town, etc. but still want to donate a few bucks to the cause, I would GREATLY appreciate it. I will be doing a blog post on The Blonde Side about this event and anyone (or business) who donates $40 or more will get a huge shout-out from me. My goal is to raise $2000, so your help is greatly appreciated.

My Goals:

40 runners & $2000

Share with friends:
Even if you can’t run the event or don’t have extra cash to donate right now, you can still help by sharing this blog post and encouraging your friends, co-workers, parents, even your company to join the 10k or donate to this worthy cause.

As always:
Thank you for supporting The Blonde Side and our charity efforts.  I am beyond honored to be selected as a Women’s Health Action Hero for two years in a row. Only a handful of amazing women get this opportunity and I want to make the most of it.

Also, I’m happy to be back in Houston full-time’ish and looking forward to re-catching up with many of y’all!

You’ve got the tickets in hand and you’re ready to strut into that NFL stadium or College Game Day, but now you’re stuck figuring out what to wear.

First – let me be clear – I am by no means a fashionista or whatever term those TJ Maxx commercials have so cleverly coined. But, I do go to a ton of sporting events and have pretty much figured out what to wear in any situation and more importantly, what not to wear. Sometimes, as a member of the NFL media, I have to abide by their rules and that usually means I can’t wear team logos and have to be a little dressier than I’d like for a game.

My favorite football team is the Philadelphia Eagles, and sometimes I want to dress up my outfit, so I found an awesome Kelly Green (the team color) blazer from Urban Outfitters, and I also have a pair of green Uggs. Although nothing on me says Eagles, it’s clear who my team is. Here’s a little help that’ll take you from pre-game and tailgates all the way to overtime:

Determine the weather (this should be a no-brainer for most humans venturing outside). If there’s a chance of rain, perhaps avoid a white t-shirt or your favorite leather bag. Rain is tricky, so don’t forget to ask yourself what shoes will hold up in puddles or if there’s a chance your brand new tank top will bleed.

Is the stadium/arena/ballpark indoors? Does it have a retractable roof? If so, you may be able to ignore the first point regarding weather, but it can also help you plan. If it’s 98 degrees outside, but the ballpark has AC, don’t sweat it. (Get it?)

Is this an NFL stadium where the new handbag policy is in full effect? Keep in mind that even if you’re going to a college game at an NFL stadium, you may still have to forego your coveted purse, but unfortunately, each stadium and team (when it comes to non-NFL games) has a different policy. If your only team gear is your customized clutch, you may want to rethink the total outfit.

Will you be tailgating? Even if it’s a primetime 7pm game, your friends may want to get there five hours early to drink a few Bud Lights and grill some brats. That’ll change your wardrobe. Don’t wear 5-inch heels if you plan on throwing the pigskin around the parking lot.

Are you in a suite or in a player’s section? If so, think twice (maybe even thrice) about wearing rival gear. I was in a suite at the Houston Texans game last week with a sign that politely reminded guests that opposing team gear was not permitted in the suite, and if so, they’d be asked to leave. Imagine how embarrassed you’d be if you were asked to leave! Being ejected from the game is never fun.

Don’t, under any circumstance, wear unrelated fan gear. If the Lakers aren’t playing in this particular NHL game, you needn’t wear a Lakers jersey. Or hat. Or t-shirt.

If you choose to wear any team apparel (especially with a player’s name), be prepared for a fan to challenge you. They’ll ask questions to see how big of a fan you really are. If you don’t care, no worries, but it’s likely fans will heckle you. Loyal and crazy fans (myself included) take extreme pride in their team – consider this a friendly warning.

Speaking of apparel, if you don’t have any licensed team gear, don’t panic.You can always choose to rock the team colors instead of a branded New York Knicks t-shirt. See what color the team wears (a quick Google search of the team logo should do the trick) and put together a fashionable ensemble from stuff you already own. Sometimes you’ll see trendier and fashionable gals wearing a pair of blue skinny jeans, a white top and orange accent jewelry (that outfit works for the above Knicks for example).

Get creative. If you don’t already own any licensed team apparel and aren’t interested in purchasing any, don’t worry. If you want to root for Florida State, but don’t want to wear cheesy blinged-out earrings they’re selling in the campus bookstore, opt for dangly feathered ones in team colors or even arrows to go with the whole Florida State logo and theme. It’s still obvious who you’re rooting for, but the accessories are multi-functional and can be worn elsewhere, even “out of season.”

Speaking of team colors, if you choose to go rogue and wear nothing spirited for your team, you may want to do a quick check of what the opposing team’s colors are. If the Eagles are playing the Cowboys and you don’t want your clothes to root for either team, you might reconsider that navy and silver racerback you just bought from Neiman’s, because that surely screams Cowboys fan.

If your seats are really high, forego heels and skirts/dresses.Climbing up all those stairs will allow fans to check you out instead of that double play.

And lastly, be comfortable.That’s the biggest rule no matter what you’re dressing for. You could be stuck there for overtime, so wear something that feels good to you.

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Check out The Blonde Side on FB and let her know what you’re wearing to the game! To read this full/original article on GirlsGuideTo.com, click here.