The Strange Case of Loving Two Football Teams — Even When They’re in the Same Division

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Every old school Denver Bronco fan remembers 'The Drive'. It was the 1986 AFC Championship Game, Denver Broncos vs. Cleveland Browns. The Browns were ahead, the crowd was deafening, and victory seemed theirs for the taking. But then, with 5:32 left on the clock, John Elway and the Broncos took the ball on their own two-yard line and marched 98 yards down the field — cool, steady, and impossible to stop. When Elway threw that touchdown to Mark Jackson, the football world went silent for a second… then erupted. The Broncos had done the unthinkable. Cleveland’s playoff dreams vanished right there on their home turf, and helped Elway earn the moniker “The Comeback Kid.” And that wasn’t the only time Denver ended Cleveland’s hopes. Over the years, it became almost a cruel football tradition. Another season, another heartbreak for the Browns courtesy of the Broncos. The two teams might not be bitter rivals on paper anymore, but their history sure feels like it sometimes. ...
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Hostess Baseball Cupcakes

I'm a sucker for limited edition snack items, and always get a kick out of seeing Hostess Baseball Cupcakes back on shelves. I like baseball, but am not a super fan or anything like that. In fact, most years the way I can tell baseball season has started is when Baseball Cupcakes hit the shelves.

I fell in love with these cupcakes the second I saw them many years ago. I mean, just look at them. They look like little baseballs for Corn's sake!

Hostess Limited Edition Baseball Cupcakes

The cupcakes come in two varieties called 'Day Game' and 'Night Game'. The Day Game cupcakes are yellow cupcakes with creamy filling. The Night Game cupcakes are chocolate cupcakes with creamy filling. Both are topped with white frosting and red icing to resemble the stitching on a baseball. Both boxes contain eight cupcakes per box.


Hostess Baseball Cupcake
Hostess Day Game Cupcake


Hostess Baseball Cupcake
 Hostess Night Game Cupcake



So while I love both varieties of Baseball Cupcakes, I do prefer one for aesthetics, and the other for taste. Obviously, the 'Day Game' cupcakes come closer to hitting the mark in regards to looking more like a baseball. 

Hostess Baseball Cupcake

If you happen to ever throw an Opening Day party, these would be the cupcakes to fill a dessert platter with. Of course, you always have those people like my bride who simply won't eat a yellow cupcake, so sprinkling a few 'Night Game' cupcakes into the mix wouldn't hurt.

I think the 'Day Game' cupcakes are great, and they remind me of Twinkies with frosting, but I personally prefer the 'Night Game' cupcakes. To me, the contrast in taste of chocolate cake, to white icing and cream filling, simply work better versus the yellow cake.

Hostess Cupcake

These cupcakes are the same exact size and weight as the ever popular Hostess Chocolate Cupcakes. I'm curious to see how these are made at the Hostess plant. I've got a sneaking suspicion that they simply modify some of their cupcake machines seasonally, to swirl two sets of frosting along the top of the cupcake. Yeah, these are the kinds of things a snack cake fanatic for the better part of 50 years ponders in their spare time.

Hostess and I have a long history. And while I don't really eat them anymore for health reasons, I still pay close attention to what they're doing. I'm still holding out hope that they will someday bring back their Raspberry Filled Donuts and Cherry Sweet Rolls. Those are two items I would definitely treat myself to if they ever come back on the market.

Product size, inferior quality, removal of marketing mascots, and dropping popular products from their product lines. These and many more decisions in recent years have irritated myself and other lifelong Hostess fans to no end. One of the few thing Hostess still does right however, are their Baseball Cupcakes. Who knows, maybe I'll even pick up a box next spring.

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