Basketball Jones

Since I was a little kid I've always loved playing basketball. My dad played football (TE) in high school, but my uncle played basketball, and taught me that predominantly because he didn't particularly cotton to the idea of my playing football for some reason. We would always go to the outdoor courts and play 1 on 1 when I was about 7 years old, and then we'd play horse, and he'd thoroughly dominate me on both counts. I grew up with basketball, always loved watching it, playing it, basically anything that had to do with it. Growing up during the Jordan years afforded me some of the best basketball I could watch, granted his winning and retiring and gambling got repetitive, but when he played...wow.

So all this basketball talk brings me to where I am now. I play about 5 times a week at the Y, always after I lift, because I need to get cardio, and I really enjoy playing. It's probably the healthiest thing I do, considering I do nothing else other than lift, watch TV and drink, sadly enough. It's also good to meet all the different sorts of people that play there. There's a good core of about 30 people that come on a regular basis, and they're some of the funniest and intense people you'll meet. The average age is probably around 26 or so, with a good amount of middle teenage kids and a good amount of guys in their upper 30's. There are some assholes that will talk a lot of shit out there, just like every court, but for the most part it's a good group of guys. After games people just sit around and talk about whatever, ball, life, whatever's going on in the world. It's probably been the most constantly entertaining thing in my life, and thinking about it makes me want to go play. So I'm gonna do that.

The Charlotte Knights game

Last night, I decided I wanted to go to the Knights game really badly. I'm not exactly sure why this wave of baseball fandom came over me, but I'm glad it did. It was one of those Real American type things that you can't really appreciate until you go back. Of course, finally being of legal drinking age was pretty cool too. Taylor came along with me, and he drove, so i was able to enjoy some moderately priced beer (4.75 for 24 oz. cup, so a little under 2.50 a beer, I had 3), a game cooked bratwurst, and got to watch a pretty exciting baseball game for a cheap price ($6 for a ticket).

Minor league baseball is just one of those things that you never really appreciate in your hometown. I know there are the Bulls in Durham, and we have the Knights, and the best part of the game is probably the atmosphere created by the people that go. Such a random smattering of people you never even think about. It's general admission, so you sit wherever you want, and we got pretty good seats in the upper deck. We sat behind this grandfather and his maybe 4 year old son, and the grandfather spent most of the game telling his son what was going on, which was really cool to me, just to be able to see that type of relationship at an old fashioned baseball game. The grandfather was also very distraught with the National Anthem and the way the girl sang it, completely adlibbing many parts. He turned around and told us what a joke it was.

A drunk guy with his kid was in the section over from us, and about the 6th inning, he'd had one rum and coke too many (they have a little restaurant overlooking the field which also has a bar), and started shouting at every opposing pitcher/hitter and telling him how much they sucked. His 8 year old son started joining in, and the grandfather in front of me expressed his displeasure at that. I figured the guy was just making an ass of himself. I'm curious on whether he made it home safely. Behind us was this black guy with his wife and son, maybe 5 years old, and every time the Knights did something good, he would yell "Skeet Skeet Ka BOOM", and his son would echo right behind him...it's a good thing the majority of fans had no idea what the really means.

The game itself was pretty good too. There was some nice hitting, and a few shots out of the park on both sides. A 4 run rally in the 8th gave the Knights the win 7-5 over the Pawtucket Red Sox, which apparently gave the Knights a sweep and their 2nd 3 game winning streak of the year. It was a really good time for pretty cheap, and I think it's something I'd like to do again before I come back to school. Definitely a nice change of pace.