Life as a VIP

When you are sitting in the upper level at the Target Center you are literally sitting in the dark. You can see the people in the lower level sitting in the light and imagine them sipping their Merlot and barely paying attention to the game. You think of them as corporate snobs who don't know that Kevin Garnett no longer plays for the Timberwolves. You drink your beer, cheer on the players you like and heckle the players you don't. You take pride in sitting in the nosebleeds and being a true fan. You pay less for the game and sit with people who care because nobody would watch an Nba game (especially a Twolve game) from the upper deck unless they really care. For the most part true fans are found in the upper deck.


That being written I like being a sell-out. I will pay more, scalp tickets, beg for the corporate tickets or do whatever it takes to get the best seats possible. Watching the best athletes in the world from the lower level is a treat that I am afraid very few people appreciate. Even a team as bad as the Timberwolves have incredibly talent players that are best seen play up close. Note the two players below (Randy Foye and Rashad McCants) are not two of the talent players I am referring to despite both of those players being drafted before Brandon Roy and Danny Granger:

As written in the last two posts I was able to get some courtside seats to the Hornets-Twolves game. Sure it was a game where the outcome that was best for both teams (a win for the Hornets and a loss for the Twolves) happened to be the same thing and not surprisingly the final result. Here are 11 things I learned from sitting courtside:

1. If you hold out a camera to take a picture of your lovely date for the evening then some attendant will ask if you would like them to take a picture of both of you. This will happen...guaranteed.
2. In the lower level players might be able to hear what you say, but courtside they actually talk back.
3. Chris Paul does not like Duke or JJ Redick. I had heard him talk about his hatred of Duke on the Dan Patrick show, so I thought I would find out for myself. During warmups I yelled at him "Hey Chris, how does it feel to never have won at Cameron?" He responded by telling me that he "never lost to Duke at Wake" and that "2-2 wasn't that bad." After that he told me that I "must have gone to Duke" and that he "would rather be where he is than where JJ Redick is right now."
4. Morris Peterson was shocked that some random fan in Minnesota (me) told him that he should have gone to the Jazz." This was in reference to him debating between signing with the Jazz and Hornets. He let me know that he was "doing all right."
5. Jannero Pargo tried to impress M with a behind the seats trick shot. I thought we were special and that he was just doing it for us until I looked up Jannero Pargo on youtube and found this. I guess he just does that for everyone.
6. Tyson Chandler should give half of his $10M contract to Chris Paul for the number of easy points he gets off Paul's passes. If anyone can find that stat on 82games.com then I would love to see how many of Chandler's field goals come courtesy of Paul.
7. The guy next to me was what I would think of when I think of the typical courtside fan. The give away was when he was confused to find out that the Hornets were no longer in Charlotte. Also, he was a little too quick to point out that he paid $750 for his ticket. I didn't mention how I paid 1/13 that price.
8. You get "free" food and drinks before the game and during halftime. I don't think that even Jimmy McNulty could drink enough Jameson to justify the cost of the ticket. At least the food included twice baked potatoes.
9. M and I showed how out of place we were when we asked one of the attendants "where is the free food and drink section" with special emphasis on the free. For some reason I don't think the season ticket holders ask that question.
10. I had high expectations of the exclusive Lexus Courtside Club. I thought waitresses would be former Timberwolve dancers, the food would be steak from Manny's, and the drinks would be served with Cuban cigars. Instead our waitresses thought the Twolves were playing the Grizzlies, the food was salmon, salad, and potatoes, and the drinks were served with Lexus Courtside Club bottled water. Also, the Club itself was nothing more than a blocked off section of the normal bar (Nba City Restaurant) that I go to with my friends.
11. The part of the game that got the crowd the most excited was a blooper clip of people falling down water skiing, tubing, etc. The funny thing is that it wasn't just the crowd that got into the clip. The Hornets players were cracking up and ignoring the coach by looking at the clip.
    
    

If you are a basketball fan then sitting courtside is a great way to watch the game. The problem with the seats is that now that I have sat there I don't want to sit anywhere else.


Quick hits

1. What are my thoughts on the Masters? I tried watching 30 minutes during the middle of the final round today and then again at the very end. Seriously why do people watch this? I can understand the allure of playing golf with your buddies. I don't understand the appeal of golf as a spectator sport in person or on TV. On TV it seems like a lot of people clapping, walking, and talking. Occasionally a player hits the ball in the air and then randomly it falls down on a part of the course that unless obvious (water, trees, etc) is completely unrecognizable to the viewer. Also, maybe it was just today's Masters, but the lack of drama made me want to see if there was a tape of last week's Bobcats-Twolves game. Some random person won and the contest was never in doubt.
2. Francisco Liriano made his debut today and for me it was definitely bittersweet. I remember the 2006 Liriano and to see the way he pitched today was like watching the cutest girl in your high school class show up at a reunion 30 pounds overweight. I still have hope that he can turn it around.
3. My parents are coming to visit next week despite the fact that A) It still might be cold up here and B) There isn't a grandchild.
4. Are UNC fans upset at Roy Williams? This one is.
5. M asked me to put this observation on the blog. Kristen Wiig (the Target lady) is the Tyler Hansbrough of SNL and scetch comedy. Seriously she is awkward, a poor public speaker, a terrible actor, and never once has been funny.
6. The Nba playoffs start next weekend. The Western Conference Playoffs couldn't be more intriguing and the Jazz stand as good of shot as any.
7. As cliche as it sounds the movie 21 wasn't as good as the book Bringing Down the House. Still it was a halfway enjoyable flick.
8. I loved Season 3 of the Wire. Nothing is better than seeing McNulty, Avon, and Stringer Bell in their respective areas of expertise.