First to Third: The Versailles of Sports

As a Yankee fan, I was devastated when I heard that Yankee Stadium, the "House that Ruth Built" was going to be torn down and be replaced by some fancy, state-of-the-art entertainment complex (that's right, I didn't call it a stadium). How could the Yanks tear down a national landmark, America's version of Rome's Coliseum? Greed, of course, was the answer.

While I am still disappointed that the memories of my childhood will be demolished in the near future, the first glimpses of the Yanks' new home showcase the impressive structure that will blow any ballpark out of the water - and then some. The new Yankee Stadium is a fancy building, the "Versailles of Sports", that happens to have a ballfield in it. With a retro look, the Yanks hope to elicit visions of the original Yankee Stadium and maybe the outside does, but the Stadium is super modern. The clubhouse is monstrous. The High-Def video board is about the size of my house. When the Yanks do something, they go all out... but at what cost?

Tickets are impossible to get as the Bronx Bombers have priced out fans like me, the same people who can recite lineups and stats, the people who worship the gritty players, the guys who hate to lose. In exchange, the Yankees have turned their new stadium into a corporate cocktail party where a casual fan looking to grab a day-of-game ticket for $25 need not apply. Regardless, as I acquired my exhibition game tickets on StubHub, thus ensuring I will be one of the first people to see the place, I can't help but be excited - even if it's the only game I go to all year.

For pictures of New Yankee Stadium, click here.

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