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NBA Finals Blog: Mavericks vs. Heat, Game 2

I wasn’t able to take notes for this game as planned, as I found out I was working the game (only 6 Hoop Troop members perform at each Finals game, and I came in as a Game 2 replacement at the last minute).  And, like my Game 1 observations, they come in a bit late.  But I still have a few observations that I want to make, even though they’re late…

• From the Department of Shows Looking for a Story: NBA TV sent correspondent and NBA player Jalen Rose to the Finals.  They were taping a bit where they comment on the crazy scene at the Finals.  I find him and his camera crew in taping in line behind me at the event staff / media cafeteria.  I was immediately faced with a difficult situation — there are cameras filming but I’m not on court “performing.”  Do I stand in line like a normal, sane person, and patiently wait for food while Jalen Rose acts silly for the cameras?  Or do I act difficult?  I decide that I’m too hungry to bother with anything clever.  When in doubt, take the path of least resistance — that’s my motto.
• The pregame spread was amazing.  Some sort of steak-like meat with mashed potatoes and well-seasoned green beans, along with some stellar chocolate cake.  Vegetarians, don’t worry — there was a salad spread too, but the steak smelled too good to pass up.  The cafeteria staff has definitely taken it up a notch for the Finals.  My compliments to the chef.
• On court before the game was amazing.  A basketball from the honorary ball kids bounced my way, and I took a shot (and missed) on the court of an NBA Finals game.  No, it wasn’t during the game, but it was before the game.  I’ll take it.
• It was hard to avoid media members on the court before the game — every news outlet on the planet seemed like it was there filming.  I kept bumping into people, like Stephen A. Smith and Scoop Jackson.  I refrained from telling Stephen A. Smith that I find him amazingly asinine — and am proud of myself for taking the high road to his face.  But here on the blog?  Stephen A Smith, I think you’re an awful sports reporter.
• And speaking of media on court before the game, there was Jalen Rose again.  This time, the cameras were following him as he was goofing off with the honorary ballkids.  He was pretending to try to block their shots and dribble around them.  I wandered over and asked him if he wanted to go one on one with someone a little (but not much) taller than the kids.  He declined.  Wise choice.  I was about to unleash my mad game on him.
• And speaking of reporters on court — this anecdote is actually from the Western Conference Finals, but I’m reminded of it and didn’t report it earlier, so now is as good as any time.  TNT sideline reporter Cheryl Miller (Reggie’s sister) jumped in with us when we were using our three-man slingshot to sling tshirts into the crowd.  She got off a few slings, much to the crowd’s delight, and to her delight.  She seemed to be having a great time reporting.  I give her props.
• The guy that sang the national anthem, the third place winner (term used loosely) on American Idol, butchered the anthem, if you ask me.  The crowd seemed to dig it, but I thought Jack Ingram did a far better job in Game 1.  He’s also not very tall — I ran into him in the tunnel right before the anthem and he’s about my height.  My main problem with his rendition is that he came up with his own melody.  Apparently Francis Scott Key’s melody wasn’t good enough, so he did his own melody interpretation.  Thumbs down.  Give me the national anthem, as it was written, and with feeling.  You don’t need to cmoe up with your own version.
• My favorite celebrity run-in so far — the guy that plays Henry Gale on Lost.  I realized he was at the game as I came off the court after a flag run — he was sitting right by the entrance we use to the court.  As I ran by, I remember thinking to myself, “Whoa!  That’s Henry Gale from Lost!”  I nearly stopped in my tracks to ask him, “WHO ARE YOU REALLY ON THE SHOW?  WHO IS ‘HENRY GALE’?”  I was going to ask him if I bumped into him in the tunnels, but I didn’t.  He’s not as creepy in person as he is on the show, but you could see the creepiness in him begging to get out.  It was pretty awesome.
• The Mavericks won the game by 15 after Miami trimmed off some of the Mavericks’ 20+ point lead in the fourth quarter.  Still a magnificently satisfying win that takes the Mavericks to 2-0 in the Finals.  Just two more wins over the course of 5 games, and the Mavericks are NBA Champions!

Wed June 14th, 2006 10:34 pm

Filed under Dallas Mavericks