My God...the Food!

Whenever I've gotten a glimpse of the travel accommodations the Blues players...and I assume most all pro athletes...enjoy, I've been amazed. Flying from city to city like they do is definitely not like what most of us understand from commercial air travel...unless you spring for first-class. 

When I hit my 20-year anniversary as PA man with the Blues in 2007, I was pleased that team management conducted a pre-game, on-ice ceremony to honor my service. Among other gifts, wife Barb and I were offered the chance to join the players and coaches on a one-city trip to anywhere of our choosing. We decided to join them on a trip to Toronto in January of '08. I had never been to the Hockey Hall of Fame, or Canada, and we had some other business to conduct in Toronto, so it was a natural choice.


I'll always remember getting on the charter jet at Spirit airport in Chesterfield (they fly out of Lambert's private side now), being welcomed by Keith Tkachuk and then coach Andy Murray. Barb and I were invited to sit up front with the coaches and support personnel with the players all sitting toward the back of the plane. Before we took off, flight attendants came by to present us with a menu of what would be served on the flight and ask if we wanted something to eat. I thought...Oh, that's a nice touch. Well, that doesn't begin to describe how the team rolls on one of these trips. We found out the plane to Toronto was almost like a flying food truck.

No sooner was the plane in the air, than the attendants were bringing soft drinks, coffee or tea and

asking our menu choices. We're not talking peanuts and crackers here. They were going to bring real hot food...like burgers, wings, pasta, etc. and all of the accompanying sides. As soon as you were finished with that, you were brought hot, chocolate-chip cookies or maybe ice cream or cake....or both. When that round of food was done, the attendants would come down the aisle again asking if we wanted anything else. It was truly amazing stuff...at least for someone like me who is happy to get a diet coke and something more than dry-roast peanuts on a flight. The flight to Toronto was on the day before the game...a Monday as I recall...and when we flew back to St. Louis the next night after the game, the food bonanza played out all over again.

Obviously, the players burn a lot of calories and need to be fed, but WOW do they get fed. On a short

flight to Kansas City a few years back for a pre-season game, I got to fly along and witnessed a similar show. Except this time the flight home featured a full-blown barbecue feast set up as a buffet in the middle of the plane. I don't know how many pigs, chickens and/or cows lost their lives to feed the team on that ride, but it had to be a pretty big number. Ribs, brisket, wings, pulled pork,
and all the trimmings...and, of course, lots of dessert to follow it up. Cherry or apple crisp if I remember right. And you should see the players eat! Seconds and thirds of everything.

As to the hotel accommodations, always high-end places too. Obviously, someone with the management team spends most of their time planning and executing the travel arrangements. If you thought that paying for all of the travel of a top-level professional sports franchise was a significant part of the team budget, you would be correct.