The Case of the Missing Freshmen Soccer Trophy

Community Relations Manager, Stu Smilowitz is very proud of his 1998 Most Improved Freshmen Soccer trophy. So proud, that he displays it on his desk. Until recently! The trophy (and all its glory) has gone missing- as if it disappeared into thin air! Is this theft? An office prank? Did it grow a pair of legs and run off to the freshmen soccer fields where it yearns to roam free? Who knows, and only time will tell. Stay tuned for further updates on the case of the miss freshmen soccer trophy.

The Rally Pop!

During today's nail biting extra inning win, members of the Newark Bears front office staff strategically all "popped" the collar of their staff shirts to signify what is now being called "The Rally Pop" - only moments later, Bear's outfielder, Jose Herrera went on to hit the game winning home run. Coincidence? We think not. Regardless, the rally pop will stay in affect as the Bears head into the highly contested series against the York Revolution. Pop your collars y'all!

Paul's Big Debut!

Tonight, fans in attendance will be treated to a special guest on-field host. Media relations intern and (sometimes) road game radio broadcaster, Paul Roper (aka "The Poo" or "Dope Rope") will take the field and assume the role of in-game entertainment emcee. Paul has been practicing very hard, and we are all excited to see how his radio skills will translate to the mascot race, puzzle party, and much much more. See you at the ball park!

Tune in Sept 28th to SVU

This just in: Bears PA announcer Ed Kalegi will be featured as an extra in a Sept. episode of Law & Order Special Victims Unit on NBC. Ed plays a squad room detective. Very exciting!

Getting into the Olympic Spirit

A particular Bears staffer got into the Olympic spirit early this afternoon by practicing his best rhythmic gymnastics routine. Check it out (be sure to put up the volume!)


For more great Olympic moments, make sure you come to Summer Olympics night tonight starting at 7:05!

They grow up so fast..

If you remember, the bears have a young new member of the family: Cojo. He was only born a few weeks ago - but he is growing so quickly. Soon enough he will need a leash!

For now, he is very active around the office - If you know what I mean... Yeah he isn't exactly house broken quite yet. ahhhh, I've said too much!

Jim's Desk - Organized Chaos, or Just Chaos?

.....And the winner of the messiest desk in the office goes to (drum roll please): Assistant General Manager, Jim Cerny!

From Jim: "My desk is not a reflection of how unorganized I am. Just a representation of how hard I work." In his defense, his desk seems to be more "messy" rather than "dirty." Oh wait, whats that dish from yesterday's lunch doing in there??





So, who has the cleanest desk?? Votes go to: Tom Michaels, Shannon Powers, and Stu Smilowitz

Was it with birds in this town??!

Bears production intern, Lauren, was surprised this morning when she found a bird flapping around the production booth when she went upstairs to start getting ready for today's game. A window in the press box was accidentally left open over night after yesterday's game and the bird must have mistakenly flown in. It was a team effort to try and get the bird out of the production booth.





The birds are taking over! We don't get it

Annual Front Office Softball Game, This Friday!

The office is buzzing. This Friday, the front office will square off in the annual softball game. After hosting thousands of corporate outings this summer, it is nice to celebrate one of our own - and what better way then to play a softball game on a our state of the art field! Considering that much of the front office has college athletic experience, it is already getting pretty serious - and the teams have not even been announced! Smack talk is in full force - can't wait to see everyone put their money where their mouths are!

1st All Star Meeting

This morning the front office got together to discuss the upcoming 2009 All-Star game for the first time. Everyone chimed in with great ideas and suggestions and it seems that we definitely have our work cut out in order for us to put on a great event. So much goes into planning a large scale event such as this. Everything from hotels, give-aways, sponsors, logo design, and entertainment must be considered. It was really interesting to hear about other similar events (whether they be previous Atlantic League All-Star Games, the Belmont Stakes, or the MLS Cup) that members of the current front office have been involved in over the years. Discussing what made those events successful was certainly insightful into how we can make the '09 game one of the best ever. These are the type of events we live for!

While no major decisions needed to be made at this time, everyone was in agreement that the 2009 All-Star game must truly reflect the spirit of the city of Newark - and oh, it will.

Stay tuned for more updates on the All Star Game..

Ladies Lunching

The ladies of the front office had a special treat today as they each were given a complimentary facial from a Mary Kay representative during the lunch hour. Considering that most days at work are spent in khaki shorts, make up free - it was defiantly a nice change to see everyone all dolled up.

Traveling In Pairs...No Longer a Safe Option..

Just when we thought we had the crazy bird figured out, he (or she) surprises us once again. Two front office members just returned from grabbing a quick bite from Subway on Broad St. Although they were aware of the crazy bird's most recent activities (see below) and witnessed another front office member strategically cross the street to avoid the animal - they pressed on, because they were traveling in a pair and they (stupidly) believed that they would therefore be alright. Well, they thought wrong. Mid conversation, the bird swooped in and hoovered a little too close for comfort. Even after breaking out into a sprint, the crazy bird was able to keep pace, and swooped by again. Thankfully, neither of these two staffers were "buzzed" by the bird - but the situation reveals none the less, that traveling in pairs is no longer a safe option.

The Bird is Back..With a Vengence!!

We haven't seen or heard much from the bird since the storm a few weeks ago, but we always knew that he (or she) was still present. However, over the last two days the bird has reaffirmed it's presence. Three front office members have been attacked since Monday! and the saga continues...

Hey Kids, It's the Cotton Eye Joe Dance - Steve Boland Returns!

Long time PA announcer, Steve Boland will return for two games next home stand: July 18 & July 19. Steve recently retired from the position, and we are excited to welcome him back to The Den on this momentous occasion. When you are at the game, be sure to keep your ears tuned for lines that only Steve can deliver such as "wear the bear" when promoting the Bear Necessities Shop. If you are lucky, he might even read the Yellow Book ad twice!

Bobble Yourself!

Click here to bobble yourself, courtesy of XM radio (The front office did) - Too bad they don't offer Atlantic League uniforms, we certainly would have selected The Bears!!

Road Trip!

After work today, the front office is using our night off to check out another local team, the NJ Jackals (a member of the Can-Am League). In addition to spending some time together it is always nice to see how other teams in the area run their operation. For many of us, it will be our first visit to that ballpark, and we are all excited to check it out!

Chia Shaggy Update Part 3

In record time...Chia Shaggy has a full head of grass! The front office has been taking turns watering Shaggy, and rotating him towards the sun. It truly is the little things that make working in minor league baseball exciting. Good times!

Chia Shaggy Update, Part 2 (Literally Watching Grass Grow)

As we mentioned earlier, the front office is currently growing a Chia Shaggy. In only a few days it has already started to sprout. We can't imagine a full head of hair is too far behind.

The Bird Prevails

Even with the severity of last night's thunder storms and high winds, the crazy bird perched on the parking garage (see below) has prevailed. Reports claim that the nest is still in place and some early sightings of the bird occurred this morning. Countless trees are down, NJ transit has been running on 2 hour delays, and the ball park suffered some damage...however, the bird remains unscathed....amazing..

(photo courtsey of Gordan Forsyth...thanks!)

Cha Cha Chia (Slide)

Among one of the best gifts received during the front office holiday Yankee swamp in December was the Shaggy Chia. Sadly it has collected dust all winter - but today the face of motivation finally showed itself. It is currently in the "submerge in water for 24 hours" stage - but check back for updates on it's growth.

Speaking of Shaggy, has anyone ever noticed the similarities between Shaggy and Bears short stop Ramon Castro??