On San Jose Quitting the AFL

I said it was going to happen on ArenaFan late in the season in 2015 – not based on anything I’d heard from sources within the league, not based on any insider information, just based on psychology and how business works.

The San Jose SaberCats’ ownership never had any interest in operating in a league where they weren’t the top dog. Every single season since the reboot, they bought more and more talent* (okay, this is something that many, many people throughout the league have said). Last season they had no PR. They didn’t invest anything in their social media or broadcasting. The team in the heart of Silicon Valley couldn’t even provide an online video stream, something that anyone with a phone and a YouTube account can do, and they didn’t really seem to care to try, as people across the league and the league itself asked and threatened them if they didn’t get their act together.

Smashburger (Irving, TX)

I’ve been to the local Smashburger a few times now, but hadn’t taken a picture before this outing. I needed to go get some food before catching a couple of great, late Pac-12 games (Oregon vs. Stanford, WSU vs. UCLA).

I had some coupons from work, so I grabbed the $3 off an order of $10 or more deal and headed out to buy some burgers (Kara had already gone to sleep, so no need to worry about chicken nugget availability).

Emoji review: 🍔👌+🍟👌+🏈-💵💵=😀👌

Steak ‘n’ Shake (Irving, TX)

Okay, I’ve eaten at a bunch of places since moving here to Irving. I’m at the point where I struggle between eating somewhere I know is good and somewhere that may be even better. Irving is known as one of the most boring cities in America, and they literally took “number of fast-food chains” into account in the process. Fortunately for me, I’m boring and I like fast food, so this place works out pretty well for me.

In any case, I’m starting my reviews of local restaurants to help me keep track of the places I like to eat most (and give me an excuse to eat at places I really liked the first time).

The first place I started taking pictures with the family was Steak ‘n’ Shake, which was probably the last fast-food restaurant in the area we actually ended up trying.

Emoji review: 🍔🍟🍦🐔+🚚🎨-(🍦💵)=👍👍

Wrong Way Food Begins

Hi! I no longer live in the Portland area and, in fact, live nowhere near any AFL team (Irving, Texas!). So let’s put the whole AFL thing in the back seat for now (I might rev it up again as the season approaches), and get to exploring my new neighborhood’s food options.

Now, if you know me, you know I’m decidedly unpretentious when it comes to my food. I don’t like spicy food – I could say it’s because it masks the flavor of the food, but to say the same thing in a way I believe it…that stuff burns my mouth, and I don’t find it enjoyable. Similarly, I don’t like raw onions or pickles. Mustard is okay if mixed with other stuff, but I don’t find it pleasurable, either. Basically, if it’s an acquired taste, unless it has promises of altered conscious (like good ol’ beer, which I eventually came around on), I have no interest in acquiring it.

So keep that in mind as I review foods from the area. I take price into consideration (I have to feed a family). I take portion size into consideration. I don’t much care about ambiance provided I’m not too disgusted to eat somewhere. If those things are important to you, you’re probably going to disagree with my opinions, and that’s okay.

I’m mostly doing this for myself, since I’m beginning to find it difficult to keep track of the restaurants I’ve eaten at on google maps and I’m not interested in being part of everyone else’s rating system. So let’s enjoy eating and rating food the Wrong Way!