College World Series fans stay dedicated to ‘row J’

OMAHA, Neb. — “A row by any other name is still a row J.”

That phrase is on a custom-made sign hung on a tailgating tent by Vic Kensler, who is attending his 46th College World Series. 

Kensler is part of an infamous group of CWS partiers that take full advantage of the atmosphere that surrounds college baseball’s championship series since 1968, when Rosenblatt Stadium was a landmark in downtown Omaha.

He has been coming since 1968 and teamed up with Rick Marasco to purchase group tickets for “row J” every year. The group has become a mainstay at the event. Everyone knows where to find them, whether in the tailgate lot or, of course, in row J.
When the old Rosenblatt Stadium was vacated in 2010 in favor of TD Ameritrade Park, the original row J was no more.

In response, Kensler had the sign created to reinforce the main point behind row J.
“I had this sign made so that people would understand that it’s the spirit of the party, not where you’re having it,” he said.

Still, Kensler and his crew have strong emotional ties to Rosenblatt, the home of the CWS for 50 years.

Kensler’s son Todd has been coming to the game since he was 3, making this his 35th CWS. To him, Rosenblat will always be the superior stadium.

Perhaps that’s why he wore a shirt that read, “I still call it Rosenblatt.”

Todd was so passionate about the since-demolished stadium that he bought the “row J” sign in an auction and presented a refurbished version to all the fathers of the group last Father’s Day.

“Rosenblatt’s something where it’s like, you grew up as a kid,” Todd Kensler said. “I mean, a lot of life lessons, and stealing beers out of your dad’s cooler. To be able to have row J back, that’s just where we always were.”

The blue “row J” sign stood proudly on full display at the edge of the Kenslers’ tent on the main drag of TD Ameritrade’s tailgating lot Saturday, the first day of competition.

Vic Kensler is a CWS booster who sells general admission tickets every year. He grew up in Iowa and attended college in northeast Nebraska, and said he fell in love with the CWS and everything around it.

He said he doesn’t usually have a rooting interest, and that’s part of what makes the experience so fun.

“I root for good baseball,” Vic Kensler said. “And I hope everybody that comes to Omaha enjoys it and takes back good memories, and comes back again.”

Morasco grew up a few miles from Rosenblatt. He has been attending the series since the 1950s and played in the stadium as a kid.

“It was a big deal to go to the College World Series even before it got to be what it is today,” he said.

To be sure, the CWS makes for a massive tailgating experience. Pat Hupp has been coming to the series for 30 years.

Hupp, who works at insurance company in Lincoln, Neb., said some of his employees take the entire week off to hang out in Omaha. With a new venue comes an adjustment in tailgating logistics. Hupp said he was frustrated because he was having a hard time finding some tailgates, which wouldn’t have been a problem at Rosenblatt.
 
“The park’s nice,” he said. “I think (at Rosenblatt) the tailgates and everything were all set up and everything, everyone knew where to go, I knew where all my friends were. It’s not bad here. It was great at Rosenblatt. It’ll get good here.”

A visit to the row J tailgate party might just cure his frustrations. After all, it’s the spirit of the party, not where you’re having it.