What
a show! What a performance! What a spectacle! Next time you’re in the
USA and you want to see both a theatrical display and a sporting event
save yourself time and money and head to a basketball game. Like highly
trained zoo animals these “sportsmen” spent more time high-fiving,
posing and appearing in commercials then they did shooting hoops.
Our
weekend road trip was a successful outing to Portland, Oregon to see
the 1977 champions the Portland Trailblazers host defending champions
the Los Angeles Lakers. In a state that doesn’t charge sales tax –
which is bliss after living somewhere that does – and a city that has
more microbreweries than any other in the country, it was a bona fide
“Only in America” extravaganza.
We
purchased tickets to the sold out game online from a “reseller”, which
means we paid $75 for a $20 ticket. And whilst the dizzying heights of
Row N, section C23 did induce a little vertigo, it gave great views of
the rest of the crowd.
And
then came the anthem. The stars and stripes belted out by some R &
B diva, sung in a style that would offend me if it were the Australian
anthem. Dragging out notes, pushing individual syllables into sentences
and warbling high tones is, apparently, all part of a good rendition. People cheer
“yeah!” and “woooh” throughout the song, but no one actually sings.
Have
I mentioned the cheerleaders yet? Oh it was just like the movies. The
boy cheerleaders hoist the girls above their heads and they dance,
jump, shimmy and leap about, all the while flexing and stretching
impressively. But the half time show was a female contortionist that
drew gasps from the crowd as she twisted and maneuvered in and out of
positions that would snap your average Joe. Her highlight was standing
on her hands, picking up a full size bow with one foot, holding it
above her head and then drawing it with the other foot and of course,
hitting the target.
There
was a rollerblading wolf mascot, plenty of freebies, including a washer
and dryer at half time. A flying car. Grown men holding up some rather
clever signs and banners. Dancing in the aisles and through all this
basketball was played. Kobe Bryant, a superstar of the NBA didn’t play,
and although I was disappointed not to see him in action, it didn’t
take away from the spectacle. The Trailblazers even had an Australian
in their team. And, with 3 minutes to go and the result of the game
headed to the visitors, he got a few minutes on the boards and even got
1 point. I was very happy. The chance to see an Australian play in the
NBA is very, very rare. Patrick Mills? Ever heard of him? I hadn’t.
There
were two big dunks during the game. One from each team and both of them
missed. Nothing says “failure” like a player leaping in the air,
slamming the ball down only to have misjudged it and have the ball
ricochet high into the sky!
It
was a whirlwind trip, but the spectacle of the game, combined with a
few nice beers, a bit of outlet mall shopping and mild sunny weather
made for good times.
The worlds most indirect travellers - Josh and Shona
