my first professional sports game ever - seats on the court! (1 Viewer)

[Janna S]

I am not into sports (except dog mushing) but while I was in the lower 48 over the holidays I had a chance to see my first pro sports game of any kind - an NBA game (Timberwolves v. Pistons) at the Target Center in Minneapolis.

I was seated on the court, on the end, just about six seats from the basket. Governor Jesse Ventura sat about ten seats above me, scowling through the whole game even though the Timberwolves won.

What a rush! You know, even the little players are big when you are that close! The seat was $280 (no, I didn't pay for it!) The stub would go in my scrapbook if I had one . . .

 

[Kurt B]

I enjoy attending sporting events, mostly to get into the spirit of the crowd. There is just something about being with all the others that makes it more entertaining for me.
Did you get lucky and get some great autographs?
My all time favorite team to watch is my daughters She's very much into HS sports.

 

[Scott Merryfield]

I sat on the floor underneath the basket at a Detroit Piston game several years ago. It's a completely different way to experience the game. You can really see how physical the sport is, and how big the players are. Joe Dumars looks like such a little guy from the cheap seats and on TV. He's a lot bigger up close. Also, you get to hear all the back and forth talking the players do.

I also sat behind the Piston bench once. Bill Laimbeer never shut up when he wasn't in the game. Anyone who didn't know better would have thought he was the coach.

 

[Jon_B]

Awesome Janna! Kevin Garnett makes watching basketball fun. His enthusiasm and drive makes every game worth watching.
I love the NBA. My dream is to one day get courtside seats to watch my favorite team play.
Even though you say you are not an NBA fan, it's good to hear you had fun.
Jon

 

[Jay H]

Hey Janna, The only professional sports I've seen is a Yankee game LOOOONNNGGG time ago and some NASL soccer games at Giant Stadium (Cosmos). Loved the soccer, the baseball was not my game but since I was a cub scout, there always was a scout day at the park, usually coinciding with bat day.

How's things going? Deme and I are seriously thinking of coming back to Alaska this year to do the Chilkoot trail. If we do, we have to hook up again in Anchorage when we do. Do you have any knowledge of the best time to do it i.e. when the weather in Skagway/Dyea/Bennett is not to rainy or anything and the bugs aren't everywhere? I need some more cold water creamery ice cream too, my favorite ice cream joint near me has just closed (the family who ran it just retired and nobody has bought it yet so it's in limbo)..

Jay

 

[Mark Schermerhorn]

Janna, that's really cool. As a Timberwolves fan I had my first "up close" seats last year, I think we were in row 6. Tickets were around $150, we got them from my friends company. We also had tickets to the corporate suite for that game, so I spent the first half up there, and the second half down below. We had a great time...free food, free beer, desert at half time, almost makes me wish I were a rich bastard

 

[Seth Paxton]

As a die-hard Pacer fan I've made it a point to spend some big money for seats like this from time to time. Last year I sat 1 row behind Costas and Snapper for the Pacers/76ers playoff game. I mean I could read their game note cards that they were keeping regarding what to talk about on-air.
The year before I was in row 2 when Gieger landed on me going after a loose ball during the playoffs, and then for the NY series I was in the same seat for game 1, but for game 2 Spike Lee was sitting in my row (I had different seats then).
I also sat baseline for a Pacers/Bulls season game that year 2000 season (this is 2002 season).
The best thing being that low is the fan/player trash talk, and man there is a lot of it. In Indy, despite Iverson's bullshit, it's all about the game from the people I hear. Things like "that was weak", "build us a house with those bricks", and the standard "no game". Of course the players then take it upon themselves to try and make a play and put it in the fans face. Sometimes they do, sometimes...not so good.
Me, I usually yell out game help instead like "watch the back door", etc. And honestly I'm pretty certain that at least sometimes the players hear it and think of it. I've noticed guys losing track of someone and you yell and they will suddenly look to find their man, etc. Really no different than the coaches yelling the same stuff. Call it home court advantage. And it beats the shit out of stuff like "Come on Reggie, make a shot" after going 0-2 thanks for the help idiot.
BTW, the key for me used to be scalping, but I never got super close and paid a lot. Then I found out the joy of buying SINGLES from Ticketmaster when the game goes on sale. There are often a lot of nice seats in the first or second row, mid-court often, that can be had for the scalper price of a 15th-20th row seat or better. Also, staying in the 2nd or 3rd row tends to save you about $100, going from $250 to $150 face value.
Since I don't buy season tickets, I can justify living large at the few games I do go to.
Figure 2nd deck seats at $50 for 40 games (being generous I think), $2000. Or get 5 front row PLAYOFF seats for $1000 or so and watch the rest on TV. Trust me, take the playoff seats. It's freaking awesome. One of the best things I've ever done.
And after the games in Indy if you have these prime seats you are admitted into the special bar down by the locker room and the players come in there after the game.
For that Philly game I was sitting in the bar with a couple of other guys I met who were doing the same thing as me (buying single seats). We were sitting next to Juwan Howard who was waiting on Jalen. We chose not to bug him.
I did get Dale Davis's and Travis Best's autograph on my ticket when they came in though.
I'll have to dig up some photos.

 

[Janna S]

Geez, there is a lot more to this sports stuff than I ever knew. It never occurred to me to get autographs. Frankly I had never heard of any of the players before I went to the game, so I wouldn't have known who was hot anyway. My brother told me about Kevin Garnett and the GQ guy - Scerbiak? - before the game, so that was all I knew.

I had been to my brother's daughter's basketball game on the previous Friday. She's a senior, team captain, and a candidate for a Division 1 college team, but most of what I figured out there didn't seem to translate to the pro game. There was a lot going on that I had no clue about. I never knew when the whistle blew whether someone was going to get to throw a free throw or whether they were just going to throw the ball in from the sidelines. I hate to sound like a sports air-head (I hate to sound like an air-head any time) but I guess I am. But at least I knew that they switched baskets in the middle of the game.

Afterward we went in the exclusive club room and watch the Vikings crawl into a hole for the season. It was a lot of fun, but I will probably never do it again. And it's a shame for me to use up a $280 seat when someone who realy appreciates the game could use it.

PS to Jay - I did the Chilkoot Trail about ten years ago. I have some great pointers about when, what gear, a great map, etc. I will dig out my stuff and email you.