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Game SevenThursday, May 19, 2004
I love this game. Love NBA Basketball. Always have.
Unfortunately, I grew up in an area devoid of actual NBA baskeball. Iowa? Yeah, not exactly a hotbed for professional sports. I got my first real taste of NBA basketball about 5 years ago, at the tender age of 23. Lins and I were up here (Minneapolis), vacationing in the city we'd one day call home. We happened to be in town on a night where there was a Timberwolves game -- delicious! Then, somehow, we snagged 2 tickets. I was shocked that there were any available -- I'd assumed they sold out every game, what with the exciting team featuring the 1-2 punch of KG and Stephon Marbury. The seats were in the lower level, at about a 45 degree angle from the court -- absolutely perfect. We got to watch the Wolves throw down against the Philadelphia 76ers. From that time on, I was totally hooked. In 2000, we finally moved up here. I'd be lying if I said that the Wolves didn't play a part in our move. Because they did. How's that for devotion? I've gotta say, it's been wonderful living in a city with an NBA team. It doesn't hurt that I absolutely love our team. Also, our best player? KG? My favorite player of all time. Works out nicely. Having a good local team makes the winters much more bearable, too. And now? Now, it's on a whole 'nother level. The Wolves are in the Conference Semi-Finals -- getting set to take on the Kings in Game 7. Game 7. Hee. I love Game 7's. So much drama, so much excitement. And now I get to witness a Game 7 in person. I never woulda thought. The winners go onto the Western Conference Finals and the losers go home -- crying. I'm so jacked up right now -- juiced, hyped, excited. I've been going crazy today, trying to stay inside my body. In the past few days, I've been reading absolutely EVERYTHING I can get my grubby little fingers on that has anything to do with the Wolves or Kings. I mean... this is in addition to the usually large amount of daily NBA readings I already do. I'm frequenting the SacBee website, too, to get the dish from the opponents' hometown paper. How's that for dedication? I'm ready to get to the game and cheer my ass off. By the end, I plan on having little to no voice left when the final buzzer, um, buzzes and the Kings head back to California after another crushing game 7 defeat. Meanwhile, our Minnesota Timberwolves will be marching into the Western Conference Finals, to take on the L.A. Lakers. It'll be revenge time. Aww yeah! And now, I'm passing the fake mic to my lovely wife Lindsay, for her thoughts on Game 7 tonight. Take it, wifey.
When we get in the target center tonight its going to be the same ol thing. The occasional whiff of some guy with bad B.O, followed by the whiff of a woman wearing too much perfume and too little clothes for a basketball game (now that its the cool thing to do), a too high beer which I will most likely spill on myself while trying to walk fast enough to keep up with my Jolly Green Giant husband, a highly skilled manuevering job through the people waiting for mini donuts and/or nachos-n-cheese, a trek up to our seats *huff, huff*, squeezing past the grumpy people on the end and in between Negative Nelly and Talkative Dad-to-Be.. and then...
The lights dim. I try to act cool and Eric always pulls off the coolness, but inside I am jumping up and down, smiling ear to ear, practicing all my calls for the Twolves players.. SPREEEEEE... IRVVVVVV.....KGKGKGKG....SAMMY... then I realiize it wasn't actually all kept inside and I was in fact doing it all aloud, but luckily so is everyone else. Its the playoffs! My predictions for tonite are that Freddy is going to come through with 12+ points. KG is going to really step up and do some crazy dunks and blocks to really get the crowd going. Latrell will be awesome and poor Sammy will try his best despite a hurt back, but as usual I am sure Hammy Sammy will make it a fun game to watch. We will win the game, I'll probably make an ass out of myself by jumping up and down a lot (not that any of the nordic giants around me will notice a 5'3er) and perhaps hugging Negative Nelly next to us just to get under his skin. He looks kind of shady though, not sure if I'll have the nuts. The best part after winning games is on the way out. In the corridors and down the escalators is the one time I allow myself to appreciate loud, obnoxious sport's fans at their finest. Chanting nonsensical things on the way out like "Wollllvvvvvvvvvvvessssssssssssss. *slurrr... slurr.. * Wally!!" or something like that. Eric will have a big grin on his face, and then I'll realize why when I see my hand is on his butt. Ok, actually he'll be smiling because we'll be well on our way to the NBA FINALS! Hey! Thanks for reading! Go Wolves! *e |
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