Bryan's First Time

Bryan shares the following story:

I remember my first time at Yogi's rather easily, because it's the first and only time I have ever been there during daylight hours. A few friends of mine and I were looking for a bar to watch Game 3 of the 2002 Eastern Conference Finals in basketball, the Celtics vs. the Nets, and somehow, some way, Yogi's got mentioned. We walked in and there was NO ONE there, but this was back when they had the projection screen TV in the back of the main room. They may still have it and keep it under wraps for the 2 a.m. crowd, which is to say, me, every other time.

Anyhow, five or so of us settled in, ordered some beers and sat in some chairs arranged in a semicircle around the screen. This turned out to be, by the way, the biggest comeback game for the Celtics — the team we were all rooting for — in NBA history, and by the fourth quarter we were exulting all over the fucking place. But still: nobody there. It was only like 7 o'clock or so, and by the time the Celtics won and Paul Pierce jumped on the scorer's table, swinging the towel around in ecstasy, we were hyped up to an unbelievable degree, and we exiting onto the street into the (still!) daylight, pleased as punch.

I had a great fucking time that day. But it pales in comparison to pretty much every other time I've been there, with Yogi's in its loud, drunken, stinking glory, the last refuge (unless you count the Patriot, obviously. And I don't) for truly scumbag drinking after the Village Idiot closed. There's time yet to kill a few more PBRs and brain cells, wade through three inches worth of muck to take a piss, have intimate, loving, three hour relationships in the booths, so this ain't quite the end. But you can be damn sure you won't catch me there during the day.