Ever since I was old enough to walk and carry things, I have loved two sports above all others: our indigenous game of Australian rules football and the oh so American game that was invented by a Canadian, basketball. I was fortunate that from a young age my mum took me to many games of the top level of Aussie Rules,the VFL/AFL. I used to enjoy our trips down to Melbourne to watch the footy and I was lucky enough to see many of the modern greats ply their trade in person on the footy field. From Ablett Snr, Dunstall, Kernahan, Hawkins, Brereton, Carey, Harvey, Lockett, Roos, Jakovich, McCloud, Goodes, Ablett Jr, Judd, you name them, I've probably watched them play live more than once. I've also taken in games in Sydney and Adelaide as well. As for basketball, well I'd been to a few local NBL games and watched Australian greats like Andrew Gaze strut their stuff on the hardwood, but the true pinnacle was the NBA. Going to a live NBA game had been a dream of mine since I first picked up the roundball and tried to put it through the hoop as a young child. I'd watched the games on tv, had my bedroom wall covered in posters of the NBA stars of the day, wore the shoes and had so many different hats and jerseys that I could've kitted out two teams easily on my own. Michael Jordan was my sporting idol as a kid, as he was to millions of others around the world, but I also loved the defensive presence of Dikembe Mutumbo, the two man game of Utah Jazz legends John Stockton & Karl Malone, the thunderous dunks of The Reignman Shawn Kemp during his heyday with the Seattle Supersonics and the hard at it, workman like pair from the Charlotte Hornets Larry Johnson and Alonzo Mourning.
So it was with great excitement I hopped in a cab from my hotel in the southern suburbs of Cleveland and headed for downtown, specifically the Quicken Loans Arena (known to locals as simply 'The Q') and my first ever NBA game. Tonight the hometown Cleveland Cavaliers, lead by their tremendously talented Australian born point guard Kyrie Irving the number one pick out of Duke University in the 2011 NBA draft, took on scoring machine Monta Ellis and the Golden State Warriors. The Warriors were going into the game without their own sensational young pg, three point shooter extrodinare Steph Curry, son of former Charlotte Hornets sharpshooter (and another of my favourite players) Dell Curry. The Cavs and the Warriors both missed the playoffs last season and aren't in the realm of the Celtics, Lakers, Bulls, Heat, Knicks or Spurs when it comes to marquee recognition, but I didn't care. This was a lifelong dream, a live NBA game!
There was no line to enter the arena so we walked straight in and took in the Cavs wine and gold colored surroundings. The Cavs cheerleaders were wandering around pre-game taking photos with and chatting to fans, promoting both the team and the upcoming NBA all star game in Orlando, Florida. I knew I wouldn't be researching for this blog properly if I didn't get a photo with some of them (the things I do for my readers!) and have a quick chat. They were confident the Cavs were going to win, but were more interested in my 'cute' accent and hearing about Australia and our wildlife. I never had been that thankful to be an Aussie before in my life. Stop number two was in the two story Cavs store that sold everything from the obligatory jerseys (every player on the main roster, both home and away jerseys, as well as throwback jerseys featuring players like Mark Price and Brad Daugherty) right through to home and office products. They were also selling jerseys and merchandise from the American Hockey League's Lake Erie Monsters, who share the Q with the Cavs and are also owned by Cavs owner Dan Gilbert.
We took our seats on the top level in 'Loudville'. Despite the seats up in the nosebleeds our view was excellent, seemingly over the top of the court yet close enough to hear the squeaking of the players shoes. The players were out on the court doing their pre game shoot around and warm ups. The Cavs have an in house DJ scratching tunes and the mascots Moondog and Sir C.C. mingling amongst the crowd as well as a cheer squadron who bounce around the arena levels revving the crowd up. The teams head back into the locker rooms for a final pre game speech from their respective coaches while out in the arena the lights dim and the pre game video show starts. Clips of the team in action along with shots of Cleveland playing into the Cavs all for one, one for all motto. The video finishes with long range specialist and favorite of the Cavs faithful Daniel 'Boobie' Gibson urging the fans to stand up and make noise for the Cavaliers.
The Warriors re-enter the playing arena and their starting five is introduced. No bells or whistles for the visiting team, just a basic players name and position. However when the Cavs starters are announced, each gets an individual spotlight and flames shoot out of the scoreboard. The mascots run around the court with oversized Cavaliers flags while the cheerleaders vigorously shook their pom poms. The arena was maybe at half capacity, however they were making the noise of a full house. During the LeBron James era, the Cavs used to sell out every game, however as the team struggled after he left for Miami, the crowds slowly dropped off. These were true Cav fanatics in the house tonight.
The game went back and forward for the first three quarters, the Warriors jumped out to an early lead only only to have Cleveland reel them back in behind the sterling play of Kyrie Irving. For one of the smallest and youngest players on the court he showed little fear in taking the ball to the hoop, if he stays injury free he will become one of the top point guards in the league. When Irving was off the court and backup pg Ramon Sessions, the Cavs were a much less fluid. The Cavs other rookie, number 4 pick Tristan Thompson showed flashes of becoming a good player, crashing the boards and playing tough defense. His shooting and offense however, still needs time to develop. Cavs veteran Brazilian c/pf Anderson Varejeo also struggled, despite getting a double double (10 points, 13 rebounds). Of all the Cleveland squad, Varejeo was the one who showed the most fatigue following the Cavs seven game road trip, dropping a lot of inlet passes that could've led to easy points.
The Warriors skipped away in the final term behind leading scorer Monta Ellis and backup pg and former two time slam dunk champion (at five foot four inches tall) Nate Robinson who hit some timely three point shots. Golden State also capitalized on the turnovers by the Cavs (turnover count, 23-12) and ended up leaving the Q 105 - 95 victors. The fans filed out of the Q quietly, they know that rebuilding the team is a long term proposition, but were heartened by the play of Irving and back up centre Sehmi Urdin.
As for me, I was over the moon. My NBA experience had been tremendous fun. The Cavs put on a great show around the game, with lots of giveaways, pop culture clips on the scoreboard and halftime shows (a troupe of acrobats were the entertainment on this night, they were amazing). A lifelong dream fulfilled. Can't wait for the next time.
Monday, January 23, 2012
Friday, January 13, 2012
Cool As Puck: My First Live NHL Experience.
It's Thursday the twelfth of January in New York City, the streets of midtown Manhatten are of course teeming with people, there always seems to be a swell of humanity in and around Times Square which stretches throughout the district, always something happening in NYC. Tonight that happening is at the worlds most famous arena Madison Square Garden where throngs of blue clad fans are pouring through the gates. Tonight the league leading New York Rangers aka the Blueshirts aka Big Blue are hosting the surprising Ottawa Senators or more simply, the Sens, who are sitting fifth in the Easterrn Conference standings. The Rangers have been on a real roll as of late, winning five straight prior to this game and boasting a 10-1-1 record in their previous twelve appearances. The last time the Rangers took the ice was on Tuesday against the Phoenix Coyotes, with the Rangers triumphing 2-1 in a shootout after finishing regulation and overtime tied at 1-1. Confidence is high around the city, my friend Otto from the Times Square NHL store predicts a Rangers victory, as do the majority of the overwhelmingly Empire State crowd.
Entering Madison Square Garden you are instantly reminded of who plays there. Taking up an entire entrance wall is a huge poster featuring the team that says 'This Is New York Hockey'. Just around the corner, another wall is plastid with larger than life pictures of Amare Stoudemire, Carmello Anthony and the NBA's New York Knicks. Other Rangers and Knicks posters both past and present adorn the walls of the Garden along with pictures of other MSG events, such as WWE, tennis, concerts etc.
Hockey is a blue-collar sport and this is reflected not only in the fans who pile into the garden to cheer on Big Blue, but also by the vignettes that are played before and during the game on the big screen hanging above the middle of the arena. Shots of everyday New Yorkers (one of them looked like the guy who played John the mugger in Flight Of The Conchords, but that's another story) showed filmed in gritty back alleys and behind chain link fences spouting phrases in thick accents like "Dis is Noo Yawk Paaa-shun" or "Dis is Noo Yawk Tuff" interspersed by clips of on ice action show the working class background of a large section of the audience.
We found our seats at the garden and they were excellent. Second level, centre ice. Everything seemed so close yet we were high enough up that we could watch the play as it unfolded. When we took our seats (padded! What a luxury! Take note Australian stadiums) I took in the surroundings I'd seen on tv, movies and in video games countless times. Hanging in the rafters are championship banners for both the Rangers and the Knicks as well as the WNBA's New York Liberty and retired jersey numbers of such Ranger greats as Mark Messier and Mike Richter and Knicks legends like Patrick Ewing and Willis Reed. Elton John and Billy Joel also have numbers in the Garden's rafters, reflecting the venues musical heritage as well (12 for Billy Joel for his record 12 sold out Garden shows and 60 for Elton John on his 60th birthday).
The players enter the arena to a very loud 'Let's Go Rangers' chant from the audience, they have a quick skate around before the starters head to the blue lines and the rest head to the benches, save the opposing goalies for the night who move to their creases in front of goal for the singing of the Canadian and American national anthems. The Canadian anthem gets a very nice polite round of applause from the overwhemingly American crowd, but when the Star Spangled Banner begins to play, the crowd goes nuts, nearly raising the roof off the place.
The players head to their face off positions as the puck is dropped to begin the game. The first period is all Rangers, firing in eleven shots on goal without success, the speed at which the players from both sides glide up and down the ice is astonishing. Within the first 5-10 minutes, the crowd gets one of the things they came to see, a fight between two of the players. I. The NHL if you drop your gloves to the ice and square up with an opposing player, the refs will let you duke it out for a few minutes, much to the delight of the crowd. Zenon Konopra from the Sens squared off with Brandon Proust of the Rangers while teammates and referees stood and watched from centre ice. After the fisticuffs were complete both players were sent to the penalty box for five minutes each. Who won the fight? According to the fans in attendance and by the tweets being displayed on the big screen, Proust came out on top of his Ottawa opponent. The fans were buoyed by the strong first period showing of their boys and the chatter around me was that it was only a matter of time before the boys in blue lit the lamp.
After a break between periods which saw some youngsters from the New Jersey Bandits strut their stuff on the ice of the hallowed arena, period two began with a newly focused Ottawa team. Where the Rangers had things mostly their own way in the first stanza of play, the Senators tightened up their defense and their attack on the puck was brutal and relentless. They were rewarded just before the nine minute mark with a goal to centre Jason Spezza that flew past Rangers net minder Henrik Lundqvist. The Rangers faithful were somewhat dismayed to see the Sens take the lead and attempted to lift their team by chanting 'Let's go Rangers' and the occasional 'Boston sucks' thrown in for good measure. Ottawa were not taking their foot of the peddle however and went into the second break holding their goal advantage.
The Rangers started the third period with an extra player on the ice due to a boarding penalty called against Chris Neil of the Senators late in the second. The Rangers power play however seemed tentative and a little sloppy. The Sens rode out the storm and thanks to goalie Craig Anderson's exceptional network kept the Rangers out until Ottawa scored again in the 13th minute. This was enough for some Rangers fans who started exiting the building or shouting abuse at their team ("whadda buncha chumps" "Ya got no hart Range-ahs!". It was only to get worse when the Sens scored a third time a few minutes later. Final score: Ottawa 3, NYR 0 on the back of Anderson's 34 saves and first shutout of the season.
After saying farewell to the people I sat next too during the game, a couple from New Jersey who, when questioned why they didn't follow the local New Jersey Devils simply answered "man, fuck the Devils! They're the bastard son ya know?" and were fascinated by both my accent and that I had only come across friendly New Yorkers, we headed out of the Garden. My first NHL match ended with the home side getting their win streak snapped. As an longtime fan of the sport, I loved the experience, the atmosphere and the passion of the New York crowd along with the mystique of the venue. So was my night cool as puck? You bet your pucking life it was.
Entering Madison Square Garden you are instantly reminded of who plays there. Taking up an entire entrance wall is a huge poster featuring the team that says 'This Is New York Hockey'. Just around the corner, another wall is plastid with larger than life pictures of Amare Stoudemire, Carmello Anthony and the NBA's New York Knicks. Other Rangers and Knicks posters both past and present adorn the walls of the Garden along with pictures of other MSG events, such as WWE, tennis, concerts etc.
Hockey is a blue-collar sport and this is reflected not only in the fans who pile into the garden to cheer on Big Blue, but also by the vignettes that are played before and during the game on the big screen hanging above the middle of the arena. Shots of everyday New Yorkers (one of them looked like the guy who played John the mugger in Flight Of The Conchords, but that's another story) showed filmed in gritty back alleys and behind chain link fences spouting phrases in thick accents like "Dis is Noo Yawk Paaa-shun" or "Dis is Noo Yawk Tuff" interspersed by clips of on ice action show the working class background of a large section of the audience.
We found our seats at the garden and they were excellent. Second level, centre ice. Everything seemed so close yet we were high enough up that we could watch the play as it unfolded. When we took our seats (padded! What a luxury! Take note Australian stadiums) I took in the surroundings I'd seen on tv, movies and in video games countless times. Hanging in the rafters are championship banners for both the Rangers and the Knicks as well as the WNBA's New York Liberty and retired jersey numbers of such Ranger greats as Mark Messier and Mike Richter and Knicks legends like Patrick Ewing and Willis Reed. Elton John and Billy Joel also have numbers in the Garden's rafters, reflecting the venues musical heritage as well (12 for Billy Joel for his record 12 sold out Garden shows and 60 for Elton John on his 60th birthday).
The players enter the arena to a very loud 'Let's Go Rangers' chant from the audience, they have a quick skate around before the starters head to the blue lines and the rest head to the benches, save the opposing goalies for the night who move to their creases in front of goal for the singing of the Canadian and American national anthems. The Canadian anthem gets a very nice polite round of applause from the overwhemingly American crowd, but when the Star Spangled Banner begins to play, the crowd goes nuts, nearly raising the roof off the place.
The players head to their face off positions as the puck is dropped to begin the game. The first period is all Rangers, firing in eleven shots on goal without success, the speed at which the players from both sides glide up and down the ice is astonishing. Within the first 5-10 minutes, the crowd gets one of the things they came to see, a fight between two of the players. I. The NHL if you drop your gloves to the ice and square up with an opposing player, the refs will let you duke it out for a few minutes, much to the delight of the crowd. Zenon Konopra from the Sens squared off with Brandon Proust of the Rangers while teammates and referees stood and watched from centre ice. After the fisticuffs were complete both players were sent to the penalty box for five minutes each. Who won the fight? According to the fans in attendance and by the tweets being displayed on the big screen, Proust came out on top of his Ottawa opponent. The fans were buoyed by the strong first period showing of their boys and the chatter around me was that it was only a matter of time before the boys in blue lit the lamp.
After a break between periods which saw some youngsters from the New Jersey Bandits strut their stuff on the ice of the hallowed arena, period two began with a newly focused Ottawa team. Where the Rangers had things mostly their own way in the first stanza of play, the Senators tightened up their defense and their attack on the puck was brutal and relentless. They were rewarded just before the nine minute mark with a goal to centre Jason Spezza that flew past Rangers net minder Henrik Lundqvist. The Rangers faithful were somewhat dismayed to see the Sens take the lead and attempted to lift their team by chanting 'Let's go Rangers' and the occasional 'Boston sucks' thrown in for good measure. Ottawa were not taking their foot of the peddle however and went into the second break holding their goal advantage.
The Rangers started the third period with an extra player on the ice due to a boarding penalty called against Chris Neil of the Senators late in the second. The Rangers power play however seemed tentative and a little sloppy. The Sens rode out the storm and thanks to goalie Craig Anderson's exceptional network kept the Rangers out until Ottawa scored again in the 13th minute. This was enough for some Rangers fans who started exiting the building or shouting abuse at their team ("whadda buncha chumps" "Ya got no hart Range-ahs!". It was only to get worse when the Sens scored a third time a few minutes later. Final score: Ottawa 3, NYR 0 on the back of Anderson's 34 saves and first shutout of the season.
After saying farewell to the people I sat next too during the game, a couple from New Jersey who, when questioned why they didn't follow the local New Jersey Devils simply answered "man, fuck the Devils! They're the bastard son ya know?" and were fascinated by both my accent and that I had only come across friendly New Yorkers, we headed out of the Garden. My first NHL match ended with the home side getting their win streak snapped. As an longtime fan of the sport, I loved the experience, the atmosphere and the passion of the New York crowd along with the mystique of the venue. So was my night cool as puck? You bet your pucking life it was.
Friday, December 23, 2011
Welcome to Shot Down Sports!
Hello readers, welcome to my new blog, the sister to Shot Down Before My Prime. First things first, I don't proclaim to be an expert on all things sports. I am just a fan who has decided to take my interest for certain sports and start sharing my views and predictions with anyone who stumbles across this blog in the vast expanse of the internet. First, a little background on my own sporting history. I have played basketball since I was six years old on and off and continue to play it to this day. I also play the less athletic but equally challenging sport of Poker as well, not at any high level, just with mates and the occasional pub game. I have also played Australian football, cricket, beach volleyball, soccer and golf. I also follow leagues like the NHL fairly closely, and have a passing interest in rugby league. I'll be focusing mainly on the sports that interest me the most, so if you're after motor sport or tennis articles, this may not be the place for you. But for those who like their AFL, NBA, NBL, cricket, NHL, NRL etc. well i may have something you could be interested in.
So without further adieu, I bring you Shot Down Sports. I hope you enjoy it and have a fun read and please feel free to share any piece you like or leave a comment if you agree/disagree with what i've written. Enjoy!
Gareth.
So without further adieu, I bring you Shot Down Sports. I hope you enjoy it and have a fun read and please feel free to share any piece you like or leave a comment if you agree/disagree with what i've written. Enjoy!
Gareth.
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