Throwback Thursday- Hulkamania

Whatcha gonna do, brother?

I hope you said your prayers and ate your vitamins, because Hulkamania is about to run wild in the Tiki Bar! I can confidently say that every 80's and 90's boy looked up to Hulk Hogan. He was our hero and our savior in the fight against evil. He was the Real American. He was the positive influence you could look to day in and day out. We played with his toys, we wore his shirts, and any time we played a WWF game, he was always the character you fought to get.

I remember the first time I saw the Hulkster: It was 1989. I has just started getting into wrestling because my father and my uncle were into it. I was watching WWF Superstars on the USA network. All of a sudden, that music started, the crowd went wild, and out came this ripped guy with blond hair who tore through his work out shirt, and started pounding on some heel in the ring. The fight wasn't even close. Hogan reigned as the victor, and went on to show the public how much he loved them.

That was when I joined up as a full-fledged member of the Hulkamaniacs, and just like any other Hulkamaniac, I had to beg to have every piece of Hulk Hogan merchandise there was. To their credit, my parents were more than generous in their attempts to keep me happy. Just to clarify, I was never a spoiled kid. I never cried or did the "I hate you" bit if they didn't buy me what I wanted. Perhaps that's why they never hesitated to grab up whatever they could find, I guess they appreciated not being screamed at.

You name it, I had it. Hulk Hogan wrestling buddy, Hulk Hogan action figures, Hulk Hogan talking figurine, Hulk Hogan work out set, but let's be real, they only bought it for the shirt and bandanna. Vitamins, ice cream pops, the list goes on and on. I loved the WWF, and more specifically, I loved Hogan. I remember when I was about 5 years old, that there were rumors that Hogan had fought his last match. He wasn't the champion anymore, and guys like The Ultimate Warrior, Macho Man, Undertaker, Bret Hart and Shawn Michaels had become the faces of the company. While I loved all of those guys, none of them were the Hulkster.

1992 rolled around and so did Yokozuna. He had taken the place by storm, and were virtually unbeatable. Brutus the Barber was a fan favorite, and had been a close friend to Hulk Hogan. I remember one night on Monday Night Raw (at least I think it was on Raw), he was attacked by Money Incorporated, and had taken a steel briefcase to the face, forcing him to wear a protective mask. He vowed revenge, and was granted it through a tag team match at Wrestlemania 9 at Caesar's Palace in Las Vegas. By his side was his friend, and Hulkamania was to run wild one more time.

The Mega-maniacs, along with Jimmy Hart, gave it to Money Inc. and walked out as the victors (more or less). Then the main event came as Yokozuna and Bret Hart battled it out for the WWF championship. Yokozuna beat Hart after Mr. Fuji threw salt in Bret's eyes. Hogan ran out to the ring to help Bret Hart out, and instead was challenged by Fuji to fight Yokozuna for the championship. After a matter of minutes, Hulk Hogan dropped the Big Leg, and pinned Yokozuna to become the WWF champion once again. It was, in my childhood at least, the final moment of WWF glory for Hulk Hogan.

If my memory serves me correctly, I think Hogan lost the belt to Yokozuna the next night on Raw, but I might be mistaken. The truth was, Hogan wasn't finished with wrestling, he was finished with the WWF. He had bolted for Ted Turner's WCW, a company built on overpaying for Vince McMahon's prized stars, and drawing them over to the rival. Slowly but surely, Hogan, Macho Man, Diesel, Razor Ramone, The Legion Of Doom, and countless others were heading over to the dark side. Honestly, I didn't follow them. I stayed true to WWF.

Then something horrible happened in the mid-90's. Hulk Hogan came out to a crowd at a WCW show, and proclaimed that he was no longer the good guy. He didn't care about the kids, and had abandoned the career and legacy he had built as the ultimate good guy. Instead, Hollywood Hogan and the New World Order was born. I would tell you more about it, but honestly, I don't know much more because I never watched it. In fact, I was so hurt by the entire situation from him leaving to him becoming a heel, that I had stopped watching wrestling all together. It wasn't until my friend told me about a guy named Stone Cold Steve Austin that I started to watch again.

By the time Hogan came back to the WWF in 2002, I wasn't watching anymore. I would tune in a little from time to time, but I had grown tired of most of the story lines and was too involved with other things. I caught a few of his PPV matches, and saw a little bit of the "Hulk Still Rules" era when he was wearing his yellow and red again, but honestly, I didn't see enough of it to talk about it. Every now and again, I'll go to Nassau Coliseum with a friend and check out a WWF event (to me, it will always be the WWF, not the WWE). I don't know most of the people involved, and I don't have too much connection with any of the fighters.

I go because it reminds me of being there as a kid. I don't watch Randy Orton and see Randy Orton. I see Hogan, and Macho Man, and Stone Cold. I remember making my cardboard signs and screaming for my favorites. I remember hearing that signature Hogan music and listening to the crowd go wild. I remember playing his my toys every day. Then I realized that I hadn't eaten my vitamins that morning, and I should probably get on that when I get home.

-Sean
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Throwback Thursday- Crystal Pepsi

Every now and again, you see a company roll out a new product that promises to be "the future" of this, that, and the other thing. More times than not, it's a phone, computer, television, appliance, etc. I can't remember too many times when a soda company said, "this is the future". Let me rephrase that; I can't remember too many times when a soda company said, "this is the future", and it was actually successful. Aside from "New Coke", the most highlighted futuristic soda was Crystal Pepsi.

I remember being a kid and being handed a Pepsi. The only thing was, it looked like a Sprite, and I was confused. I thought it tasted pretty much the same, as much as I can remember a soda from 20 years ago. In fact, I liked it quite a bit. Pepsi really believed they were on to something in 1992, when they rolled out a crystal clear cola. This was the caffeine free cola, and I suppose they figured it would be good competition for caffeine free Coke. In fact, it would be spectacular competition because it stood out.

People are always looking for a healthier version of everything; a purer, cleaner version of basically any product on the shelf. Pepsico took the hint, and developed this as the "alternative to cola". After testing the product in Dallas, Providence, Denver, and Sacramento, the company was pleased with the results and decided to start distributing the drink nation-wide. What I remember most about Crystal Pepsi, aside from the fact that it was so different from anything else out there, was that classic commercial featuring, "Right Now" by Van Halen that aired during Super Bowl 27.

With people being so interested in the product, they rushed out to the stores to pick some up. As a result, the sales were high and Pepsi believed they had a hit on their hands. In fact, the Coca-Cola Company launched Tab Clear, a sugar free, calorie free soft drink, similar to Crystal Pepsi. However, after the initial success of the product, Pepsico saw a huge decline in sales. In late 1993, Pepsi changed the formula, and re-introduced Crystal Pepsi as a citrus flavored drink. They also changed the name to "Crystal From Pepsi". This was a failure and by the end of 1993, Crystal Pepsi was gone. Tab Clear was discontinued in 1994.

There are a couple of theories as to why Crystal Pepsi didn't succeed. The first being that, apparently, it just didn't taste as good as regular Pepsi. Another was that people simply weren't ready for it. The biggest theory, and probably most likely, was that the product was just too damn confusing. People associate colas with having a dark color. They associate lemon-lime flavored sodas as being clear. Some people believed that it was a mix of cola and citrus.

The truth is, they just didn't understand what it was, and it scared them away. Part of it as well was the fad. It sold well early, like any other product that is heavily advertised, then once people get their fill, they walk away. I also remember as a kid, this was around the same time that the "soda is really bad for you" argument came to light. While I know people had been saying it for years, this is the first time I personally remember hearing about it.

Then something interesting happened in 2005. Pepsi sold a product in Mexico called "Pepsi Clear". It was a limited time product, as are most of Pepsi's gimmicks. People started to get excited though, because they started to believe that Crystal Pepsi was coming back. In fact, Pepsico filed for trademarks on Pepsi Clear and Diet Pepsi Clear in 2008. Believe it or not, Crystal Pepsi's cult following has been very vocal over the last few years, demanding the product's return to your local store. To take it one step further, Crystal Pepsi currently sells on e-bay, and people are still buying them and cracking them open (although, I would keep it as a conversation piece, rather than drink 20 year old soda). Rallies and online petitions have been responsible for tens of thousands of people voicing their need for their favorite soda. The trademark tactic in 2008 brought people that much closer to Crystal Pepsi.

However, Pepsico has decided to back out of the clear cola race. In late 2010, Pepsi abandoned the trademarks on Pepsi Clear and Diet Pepsi Clear. Unfortunately, the rallies and petitions just weren't enough, and after the initial failure of Crystal Pepsi, it seems as if the company isn't willing to roll the dice on it a second time. To me, that's a pretty funny thing, considering some of the real flops they've released in recent history:

Pepsi Holiday Spice, the cola infused with cinnamon.

Pepsi Blue, berry and cola flavored soda. It tasted like Bart Simpson's all syrup Super Squishee.

Pepsi Summer Mix, a tropical fruit flavored bottle of battery acid.

Pepsi Mojito, a lime flavored cola with a hint of mint. No rum though, so what the hell's the point?

Those were only a couple of gems that I have the misfortune of sampling. They have some really outrageous ones overseas that I will never get to try, and wouldn't want to even if I could. Here's the short list of vomit inducing flavors: Pepsi Ice Cream, Pepsi Cappuccino, Pepsi Ice Cucumber, Pepsi White (this one's YOGURT flavored!). The list goes on and on and on.

Now believe it or not, I am a HUGE Pepsi fan despite the things I had to say about some of those products, but can you blame me? Yogurt flavored soda? I have always preferred Pepsi over Coke because it's a little sweeter. I also love Pepsi Throwback, probably the best product Pepsi has rolled out in years. In fact, Pepsi Throwback was meant to be a limited time item, but it has done so well that Pepsi has added it to the rotation of colas currently available. I'll take all the natural ingredients I can get, and I'll gladly have sugar over high-fructose corn syrup any day of the week.

Being a fan of the brand and a fan of the throwbacks, I really wished they had kept with the Pepsi Clear concept. Honestly, I believe the product would have been a big success. I stated before that most people weren't ready for Crystal Pepsi 20 years ago. I think they would be ready for it now. If you marketed it as a Throwback flavor, it would probably fly off the shelves.  I also think you could roll it out as a sugar free beverage, and it would do well. Like I said, people are always looking for a healthier alternative. Although looking down the soda aisle is probably the last place you should be looking, I think the product would appeal to most people and sell. The retro feeling alone would make it a hit.

I found a video on YouTube showing you how to make your own Crystal Pepsi. While the process seems to be painfully time consuming, you can give it a try if you feel the need.

I hope that one day we see the product return. I think it would be a fun jolt of nostalgia in a world crying out for the "good ol' days". It would be fun to remember the camping trips, sleepovers, play dates, and BBQ spent sipping on Crystal Pepsi. I would love to see another Throwback drink from Pepsi as well, and this is the only one that would make sense. But let's be real, we'll see Pepsi Pepto-Bismol before we see Crystal Pepsi again.   

 

-Sean
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Tiki Review- The Avengers

Wednesday night, I got to see an advanced screening of The Avengers. This movie does not fail to live up to it's hype. Sometimes, you look forward to one of these summer blockbusters, but they just don't come through in the end. Honestly, this movie is so over-hyped, I was fearful that it would fall short. I was wrong! I'm gonna race through this one quickly because I don't want to spoil any of the plot. And let's be real, if I said the movie sucked, you'd go see it anyway.

Basically, Loki, Thor's brother, is looking to enslave the human race by using the power of the Tesseract. He travels to earth, gets a hold of the powerful Tesseract, takes a few mental hostages with him, and takes off to make good on his plans. Given the severity of the situation, Nick Fury decides to use S.H.I.E.L.D.'s Avengers initiative to stop Loki was taking over. One by one, we see each of the characters make their entrance into the film.

The movie stars Robert Downey Jr.,Chris Evens, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Hemsworth, Samuel L. Jackson, Scarlett Johansson, Jeremy Renner, Tom Hiddleson, and Cobie Smulders. The cast is star studded, and it works. Sometimes, you see a cast go over the top, and it more or less consists of actors fighting for face time, and trying to one up each other. This wasn't the case at all, in fact they had some of the best chemistry of any movie I have ever seen. Cobie Smulders was a pleasant addition to the movie. I've got to say though, she seems to make it out of every life threatening situation in the film. You literally see rooms of people wiped out, but Aunt Robin lives to fight another day. Looking back on it, I don't mind that much.

The story is fun and entertaining, and the comedy was fantastic. I had heard that other screenings had to be shown twice, because people laughed through so much of the story. I kind of thought that was a load of garbage, but honestly, I have to see it again. Not only because I enjoyed it that much, but because I missed a lot of dialog. The special effects were incredible, for the most part. If you are going to see this movie, make sure it's in 3D or IMAX. You don't want to see this one on a tiny screen.

Now, I said the special effects were great for the most part. There were a few places where it was really weak, almost to the point where you are taken out of the movie. Towards the end of the movie, Loki is riding, what I can only describe as a flying galactic motorcycle of war. The green screen behind him is horrible. I mean, it's really REALLY bad. If you have ever seen Harold and Kumar, you remember when the boys are riding that cheetah through the woods? It's THAT bad.

Through it all, the movie is still a lot of fun. The 3D is great, the characters are fun, and there's a nice balance of comedy, action, and tension. I would have seen it again even if I had heard every bit of dialog. And Mark Ruffalo as Bruce Banner was excellent casting! This one will be a "wait-outside-of-Best-Buy-for-the-Blu-Ray" the day it comes out for purchase. I'm giving this movie 4 Tikis!

 Check this movie out! I think you'll really get a kick out of it. I will say this though, make sure you watch the other films before you see this one. There are certain plot lines that may be over your head if you haven't seen the other films leading up to this. This one took in over a half a billion dollars during it's opening weekend, so my suggestion to you is give it a week or two, let the crowds die down a bit, and then check this one out. It isn't going anywhere anytime soon, and you will enjoy it more if you are actually able to focus on it.

-Sean
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RIP Junior Seau

Junior Seau, January 19, 1969 – May 2, 2012

Hello Everyone.

Today, I had planned on reviewing the new Avengers movie. I was excited to see the advanced screening and looked forward to letting you all know how it was. I was going about my day, as we all were yesterday, and then I logged on to Facebook. 30 seconds earlier, TMZ had posted an article about the death of Junior Seau. That's when my ordinary day ended.

Being a huge sports fan, I grew up watching Junior Seau, hoping that one day, he might play for the Jets. It's funny; the other day, during the NFL Draft, I had hoped that the Jets would pick a pass rusher, and that he would be the next Junior Seau. Junior was an incredible athlete. He was a human highlight reel, and you knew that if he was in the game, you were in serious trouble. The truly amazing thing was that he was able to do this over the course of a 20 year career, which is virtually unheard of in today's NFL.

Why is it unheard of in today's NFL? Injuries. I believe the average career in the NFL is only 4 years. Sure, the superstars last for many years, but that's why they're superstars right? So many players come and go so often. Today's NFL is troubling to watch if you are a football fan. For a long time, no one cared what happened to these guys. Now, we are seeing the repercussions. 12 players from the 1994 Dallas Cowboys Super Bowl team died young, and that is way too many. The NFL has worked on player safety, but they NEED to do more. Taking away kick off returns isn't the right way of going about it.

If I remember correctly, many sports news outlets had reported that most of the head injuries in football had nothing to do with kick returns. It has to do with overly aggressive players trying to knock each other out of the game. It has to do with unsportsmanlike conduct. It has to do with a general "I don't care about you" attitude in the locker rooms. The NFL has worked hard to eliminate the head shots by handing out penalties and suspensions for head-on-head contact. This is a good start, but there needs to be more. The penalties need to be bigger, the suspensions need to be longer, and the fines need to be greater. They also need to do all they can to educate college players before they enter the NFL.

Junior Seau was a legend, on and off the field. His charitable work and all over "good guy" status is something that won't be overlooked, and shouldn't be clouded given the situation. I can only speak for myself, but watching his mother break down during the news conference was one of the most heartbreaking things I have ever seen. It was so sad, it nearly made me sick to my stomach, but not nearly as sick as I was with what followed: Junior's sister approached the microphone and asked for privacy, and asked the media not to blow this out of proportion. She asked for respect and prayers. Her request was immediately met with a reporter saying, "So, what's your name?"

That's what it is all about isn't it? The story? The scoop? Not 30 seconds after she asks for privacy and for the media to lay low. I get it, his job is to break the story, but give me a break. If I'm his employer, I am ashamed. You just watched his mother get carried away from the podium in shock and hysteria, and that was how you reacted? Give me my story? Not one other person had the guts (not the word I wanted to use, but kids read this thing) to ask a question. They remained silent throughout. In fact, if you watch the video, there seems to be an awkward silence, almost as if everyone was in shock that he continued to ask.

But that was nothing compared to how Reggie Bush reacted. If you go to his Twitter page, you'll see him saying some nice things about Junior, but keep scrolling.

What you will see is: Next thing you know we'll be playing two hand touch football! #Lame. 

This tweet came roughly 2 hours after Junior's death had been announced. You know, Junior Seau played for the Miami Dolphins, Bush's current team. Junior was also a USC alumni, just like Bush himself. You would think he would be a bit more sensitive and have a little more class. Forget the fact that this is a tragedy, and this Seau was a legend, but he is an alumni of your former school, AND formerly played for your CURRENT team. I shouldn't be surprised that this was the reaction was from someone with a spotty history to begin with, but give me a break.

Junior Seau was a football legend. He was a humanitarian, and did a lot in his community. My hope is that his legacy is not tarnished because of what happened today. What I hope comes of this is a solution to the problem. Let this be a sign to the NFL that just because a player is rich, famous, successful and seems happy, doesn't mean all is right in the world. Do what you can to keep the integrity of the game, but make the player safety a first priority. Make sure that we do all we can to see that we don't lose anymore Junior Seaus.

If you are a coach, educate your players. If you are a kid just picking up the game, learn how to play it the right way. If you are a parent of a player, remember, the game is meant to be fun. Stop living out your dreams through your 9 year old. Don't antagonize them, and teach them they smashing a kids face is the way to win. Let Junior Seau's legacy continue to grow through this. Let's hope that some good comes out of this in the future.

May Junior Seau Rest In Peace.

-Sean

Throwback Thursday- Universal Studios Florida

Classic Universal Studios Logo

OK, this one comes a day early. I'm seeing an advanced screening of The Avengers tonight, and I'd like to talk to you about it tomorrow.


For someone who prides themselves on being a pop culture and retro nut, it is assumed that, for the most part, I would be up on major news. Oddly enough, it wasn't until last week that I found out that Universal Studios in Orlando had closed Jaws. I've gotta be honest with you, it breaks my heart to see things like this happen. Growing up in the Nickelodeon Generation, I had Universal Studios crammed down my throat. Anytime I saw those old rides, it would make me smile, because it reminded me of being a kid.

_________ was recorded in front of a live studio audience at Nickelodeon Studios at Universal Studios Florida.

When we were kids (for those of you born in the 1980's, raised in the 1990's), you remember Universal Studios as the place where you could "Ride The Movies". For me, that was what had peaked my interest. Don't get me wrong, I knew heading to Orlando meant going to Walt Disney World, which was nothing to sneeze at. Hell, it was one of the biggest thrills of my life. I went to Disney for the first time in 1990. I remember it well. We did not make it to Universal Studios though. I attribute this to one of two things: Either the park hadn't been opened yet (opened on June 7, 1990), or my parents thought it was "too adult oriented" for a kid.

Not that we had to wait long, we were back in Orlando four years later. My brother and I were significantly older, and could appreciate the park. After long last, in October of 1994, we were in Universal Studios Florida. I'll say this and I'm sure there will be a lot of backlash with this comment, but I actually favored Universal Studios over Walt Disney World. Universal had Nickelodeon Studios, plus it's where you rode the movies! I can't stress enough how cool I thought this was. You were actually interacting with your favorite heroes and villains. Some rides were carbon copies of the films, while others acted as sequels, or even extensions, of some of your favorite stories.

For what it's worth, most theme parks slap a character's name on a ride, advertise the crap out of it, and make you wait an hour to get on it. While these rides are cool and usually a lot of fun, there was just something different about the rides at Universal Studios. Rides like Jaws and Back To The Future made the park what they were. You took a boat ride, got attacked by Jaws, and had to figure out a way to kill him and get out alive, just like the movie. Back To The Future was no different. You and Doc had to stop Biff from ruining the space time continuum. The kicker is, you got to do it in The Delorean! Even a ride like the corny E.T. one had the same charm. Typical fun house style ride, but you hop on a bike and flew with E.T. You actually had a purpose, and E.T. personally thanked everyone on the ride. Given, you could barely understand what he was saying, but if you were lucky enough, you could hear him say your name.

Did Universal Studios have attractions that were typical of the other amusement parks? Of course they did, but they seemed to be few and far between. Besides, it was the cornerstone rides that had given the park its charm and identity. Safe to say though, the cash cow of the park was Nickelodeon Studios. There was no way you could go to Orlando and NOT go to Nickelodeon Studios. I remember walking up to it, overjoyed because I knew how special it was. Plus, I was the first of my friends to see it. There's a sense of pride when you know that you are the first.

Kids of the 90's celebrating outside of Nickelodeon Studios. A very famous promotional piece.

I remember walking up to the Gak Geyser and taking a picture with it. We made the rounds and took pictures with just about every cut out and fake character there was. We waited on line for the tour for about a half an hour, and I want to say that there were TV's playing Nick Toons, and Sega kiosks where you could play a game. The tour itself was fantastic. You got to see the sound stages and props. The best was when they took you into the "testing area". They slimed a kid in the audience, and scared your parents by faking a slime attack on them. Oh, the memories.

That's what its all about isn't it? Memories? Well unfortunately, that's really all that's left of Universal Studios. Over the years, they have started to eliminate those signature rides. Don't get me wrong, I understand as much as the next person that things need to change, but in my opinion, there are just some things that need to be left alone. The rides that helped make the park should have stood forever. They were there from the start. They weren't some fad that had come and gone. Those rides represented everything great about the park and old Hollywood, as well as timeless classics. Sure, plenty of shows closed up after the licensing contracts had expired, but that's to be expected.

Logo for the King Kong Ride: Kongfrontation

The first casualty was Kongfrontation. The ride that the adults loved and the kids were terrified of. This ride was fantastic. How often could you get that close to King Kong, or at least believe you were that close. Again, this was one that defined the park and what it stood for. The ride was shut down in September of 2002 to make way for Revenge Of The Mummy. Don't get me wrong, Revenge Of The Mummy is an AMAZING ride. It's got great special effects and is filled with thrills, but this one was a better fit for Islands Of Adventure. You could have had your great ride, plus your classic ride.

Nickelodeon Studios went next. The studio was getting older and wasn't seeing the crowds it had in the past, partially because the tour was stripped down to a shell of what it had been. Productions started moving out to California, and a piece of our childhood was executed on April 30th, 2005. What stands there now? A tribute? A new studio design? A new ride? No; the freaking Blue Man Group. I shot the video below back in November, it says it all.

Back To The Future: The Ride promotional piece.

Just when you think it couldn't get worse, Back To The Future is shut down. This was, hands down, the best ride in the park. This one really killed me. Anyone that rode this one remembers how special it was. If you never rode it, I actually feel bad for you. This ride was a classic, and can't be replaced. They tried though with that new Simpsons Ride. I haven't been on it, and I probably never will. I have no interest in paying for what Universal Studios has become, which is just another amusement park, combined with a mecca for Harry Potter.

Another great promotional piece.

When I heard Jaws had been shut down, I was enraged. It was to a point where I said, "What else?" Is there nothing special about any part of that park anymore? Only to find out that Amity is being destroyed so that they can keep building up the Harry Potter park. But here's the kicker: From what I have been told from people with knowledge, this new Potter park will not connect to the one at Islands Of Adventure. Apparently, people weren't buying passes for both parks. They were only buying passes for Islands Of Adventure so that they could get into the Harry Potter park. Now, you are FORCED to buy dual passes if you want the "full" Harry Potter experience.

What a shame Universal Studios has become. It isn't about "Ride The Movies" anymore. It's more or less, Harry Potter World now. Evidently, there are thousands of people who have taken to the net to vent about this. Apparently, there are thousands of people who were Universal Studios enthusiasts who are boycotting the park completely. I understand why. I keep repeating myself, but this place that used to be so different, has become so ordinary, and in the process, has alienated people who believed in what they were selling.

Don't cast a spell on me for this one!

 As far as I'm concerned, you could have had the best of both worlds. You could have renovated and revamped the old rides, let them run like new, and keep them there as a tribute to old Hollywood, cult classics, and the "Ride The Movies" mantra that you built this park upon. You could have taken Islands Of Adventure, with maybe the exception of Jurassic Park and Spiderman, and turned it completely into the Harry Potter Park, which is more or less what you did anyway. If you were going to do away with stuff, do away with the rides that strayed away from what you once believed in. Eliminate the fads and stay true to yourselves and your fans.

I will go to Universal Studios, but only for CityWalk. I love going to Margaritaville and smoking a cigar outside. To be clear, I will not pay to enter Universal Studios, or it's shrine to the wizards of the world. I have very little interest in paying to watch my childhood die. I don't go to Yankee Stadium often anymore, maybe once a year. I used to go to about 20 games a year in the old building, but if you read my article about Fenway Park, I don't need to rehash my feelings about Yankee Stadium. I have little interest in paying so that you can turn your back on what made you different. If I want to go on a ride that has a characters name slapped on it just for the sake of, I'll go to Six Flags...and they're in New Jersey.

-Sean
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