PISTONS (Detroit) vs. SIXERS/76ers (Philly)
Round 1 – Home Game 1
2008 NBA Playoffs
Now tell me how many of you would be ready to go for it after hearing those strange words, especially when you are from India? None for sure! Apart from Cricket, we Indians hardly show any curiosity towards any sports whatsoever.
Anyway, when I heard about this match I was little interested being a sports lover and on the other side I was feeling very lethargic since the match was on Friday @7pm. The Friday emphasis is there because it is the last working day for the week and you feel much stressed and head banging. So, getting out of office on Friday evening is like lifetime imprisonment to the heaven. On usual Fridays, I am nothing but a super-duper couch potato therefore I understand that you understand my lethargic emotion about this event.
The reasons I could say NO for this event:
1. I was feeling very lazy
2. I don’t like basket ball
3. I know not much of basket ball (except ball, basket, and basketing the ball)
4. I had to spend 50 USD for this ticket
5. I had to go on someone else car whom I don’t know for my lifetime
6. And that someone else was a girl (asusual.. was lil shy)
The reason I could say YES for this event:
1. ESPN was doing the live coverage of this match and we have ESPN in India too. So, I thought there is a good amount of chance for me to get caught live (or whenever it is telecasted) on TV.
Although there is only one reason to say YES against my umpteen number of reason to say NO nonetheless I preferred to say YES to my colleague, who actually asked me to come along with him. Keep reading if you want to know how well my decision treated me.
Therefore, we (my colleague1, my colleague2 and me) were out of office at 5pm and met my colleague’s friend at a common place. Got in her car and then we started around at 6pm from Liberty Place. My first impression on my colleague’s friend was good but not as good as, as bad it was on her driving. She drives scary fast and her control on her car was beyond her controls. "Wow, that was a good line!" Right then, sitting inside that fast-moving-rocket-on-wheels I was thinking like "Yeah! She is the one who can take me to either hell or heaven!" Fortunately, we were safe enough to get out of her car at the stadium premises.
As soon as we were out of the car the sound waves went crazy and freaky. Everyone was going gaga for Sixers.
The only lines I could pick up from the crowd shouting were:
"Let’s go Sixers! Let’s go!"
"Beat De troit"
76ers had the home team advantage over Pistons and so it was 76ers all over. Very soon we got our tickets from one of the many counters over there and then we headed towards the escalator to find our block on the second floor. Mind you, we had the upper-most seats for this match (for 50 bucks this is what you get...). But I was pretty sure that to have a uppermost seat for a basket ball match will be far better than having the same for a cricket match. We found our block, got inside the stadium and seated.
I was awestruck by the interior design of that stadium (Wachovia Center). The lights, the lively crowd, the seating arrangement, the big screens, the cheering girls, the colorful settings, everything was so perfect for the extravaganza and I was just trying to capture each and every moment my being there personally.
It was exact 7pm and match kicked off with two excellent baskets from 76ers in the first minute. Right then I made my mind that I am going to cheer for 76ers. On every attack we were shouting "Let’s go Sixers! Let’s go!" and on their every defense we were like "De fence", in rhythm. In between the quarters (15 mins play) we had few photo sessions, ice-creams, chicken pataanahi (coz I don’t know what that was), fries and soda (what we call cold drink in India). I was so into the game that I ate all of the stuff leaving nothing to my colleagues on the tray. At the end of the match 76ers won the match with some 20 points difference and I was able to learn few things about basket ball. It was already 9:45pm and while taking escalator downstairs my brain started thinking about the dinner but that very moment my stomach answered very very promptly "nothing else for tonight please!"
Finally, we came out of the stadium and walked towards the parking lot. Although, I knew that my life is not in safe-hands when she is on the driving seat, I had no options but to stick firm inside the car. I got off from that fast-moving-rocket-on-wheels at my hotel and after I reached my room.. Here I am.. writing this blog for you all.
Worst part: I forgot to take my digi-cam!
Therefore, I can say, my decisions against some of my wishes worked very fine for me today!!
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