The Silence of the Fans

By now, everyone has heard about the protests in Baltimore. Videos and stories are all over the news & internet showcasing the events that are happening. Even though riots are happening outside, baseball must still go on inside. Today the Baltimore Orioles and Chicago White Sox played in front of a crowd of 0. Yes, ZERO.

Since the game was closed to the public, watching it felt very odd. The sound of foul balls hitting empty seats and absolutely no cheering for the home team was not something that is normal in a Major League Baseball game.

The Orioles broke open the game in the first inning, thanks to a Chris Davis home run, and ended up winning the game 8-2. The only people who saw this game live in person were Camden Yards employees, journalists, players/coaches/umpires, a couple scouts, and a small group of loyal fans standing outside the stadium gates. This made a regular season MLB game seem quite eerie.

This was the first Major League Baseball game to be played with a fan attendance of 0.  The Orioles will now move on to to Tropicana Field to serve as the home team against the Rays while the riots in Baltimore will (hopefully) be coming to a calm close. Although this game setting was unique and the players had a little fun with it, it came under tough circumstances. I truly hope matters in Baltimore get resolved, so fans can get back to the ballpark, where they belong.

Video of an Orioles player "signing autographs for fans."

Photos: Deadspin

             Baltimore Sun

Niall Horan Caddies for Rory McIlroy at the 2015 Masters

Niall Horan is known for being a member of the world famous band, One Direction. Today he traded his guitar for a bag of golf clubs. Irish golfer, Rory McIlroy invited Niall to be his caddie in the Masters Par 3 Contest.

One of the many things that Niall and I have in common is our immense love for sports. When I heard that Niall was getting this amazing opportunity, I was so excited for him.

Watching Niall on ESPN was like watching my worlds collide. He was fully dressed for the part in his white jumpsuit and green and gold Masters hat. (I won't even get into how excited I was that his hat was green and gold.)


At one point during the contest, Rory gave Niall the opportunity to take a shot. Niall's shot ended up in the water, but as he took off his glove he was shaking with nerves. He made sure to tell the ESPN camera that he does play golf and he has a 12- Handicap, but was timid due to the situation. Performing to tens of thousands of people a night may be intense, but hitting a ball in front of every person at the tournament as well as the entire ESPN audience is a little bit different. I could directly relate to Niall at this point knowing that when I meet baseball players, I am a starstruck mess.

Niall's nerves continued to show during one of Rory's interviews when he slipped on pine leaves in the background... I love this boy to death, but the video did make me laugh.  "Oh no, Niall!"

Even though Rory lost to Kevin Streelman, it was still an experience that Niall will not soon forget. He may have been incredibly nervous, but I would let him caddie for me any day. In my opinion, any day that involves Niall and sports is a good day. Thank you Rory McIlroy, you not only made my favorite person very happy, but you gave me some of the best Niall pictures ever.... Here comes the picture spam... You're welcome in advance... Happy St. Caddy's Day.

And the award for "Hottest Caddie Ever" Goes to...

Photos: Daily Mail, BBC Sports, CBS Sports