Blazing
Tonight, David and I are going to see the Blazers* play the Timberwolves at the Target Center downtown! The tickets were his IQD present, but they're as much for me as for him. The Blazers are the sports team with whom I've felt the most affinity; although I'm told that as a three year old, I used to cheer, along with my 49ers fan father, "Go nine-ohs!", some of my fondest televised sports memories involve floor picnics in front of the TV with my family in the early 90s, watching the Blazers.
Yesterday, NPR had a story about "the Michael Jordan of curling," and it brought back memories of that basketball giant. The Bulls were the Blazers' greatest nemeses when I was a fan, and yet none of us could truly hate Michael Jordan, even when he was single-handedly beating us. When I heard the line in yesterday's story, "The dunks, the championships, the awe-inspiring shots with the tongue hanging out," I remembered my dad doing his "Michael Jordan impression," which made us kids giggle uncontrollably even before we knew who the Chicago star was. Dad used to stick his tongue way out and then leap to dunk the ball in my brother's miniature plastic backboard stand (which would occasionally topple over at the assault), and we would fall about the place.
Needless to say, Michael Jordan won't be playing tonight, nor will any of the Blazers that I grew up watching (though I could still probably tell you most of the 1992 starting line-up). Still, it's exciting to see the "home" team (admittedly more of David's than mine, since he was an Oregonian until much more recently than me) and to be in the Target Center again (the last time I was there was to see candidate Obama almost exactly two years ago).
Go Blazers!
*That'd be the Portland Trailblazers for those of you who aren't golfers; at least one local friend had no idea what I was talking about when I said we were going to see them play.
7 comments:
♪♫ "Bust a bucket, bust, bust a bucket..." "Rip city Rhapsody..." ♪♫ Do you remember the cheesy songs all over Z100?...You know what I'm talking about... I think the early 90's were the only time I had any interest in the Blazers because they were actually doing moderately well for themselves. It's been pretty lame since then. But one still has State pride.
Ohmygoodness, Bust a Bucket! And Z100 (I sang the jingle just now)! The memories, they are flooding back.
I'd never seen the video, but looked it up just now. What a trip--I hadn't even thought of that song in YEARS!
I don't know how their season is going generally, but it was awfully fun to watch them win last night!
I was totally with you on "obviously you're not a golfer." I love that movie.
Leah, that makes me so happy! Just before Christmas, David and I went to a showing of it at this great old theater in town that has leather couches and lets you take food in from the Mexican restaurant next door. David said at least one guy was even in a bathrobe, although I missed it.
Alright! I'm glad to know another 49er's fan!
And Blazer's aren't bad either.
I'm a pretty fair weather fan, truth be told; this season, I was all about the Vikings (you know, for all two games I watched!). I hope to go see some local baseball this summer in the new open air stadium; go Twins!
Fair enough :)
I know what it's like to move to an area with a surging sports team. We moved to Washington in the mid '90s when the Mariner's had that magical comeback season--I totally caught the fever!
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