Here's what happens when a video of a basketball game is professionally put together by a large corporation with lots of video equipment and professionals to use it.
Here's what happens when a video of basketball game is not done very professionally.
That's what the last seconds of Ohio State-Kentucky looked like live from the back of someone's head at the Prudential Center in Newark, NJ. In case you missed it in the first two videos, these guys won:
The Bartner and I have watched the NCAA Tournament together before with exciting results. This time we had scored tickets to see live actions. This time with no Bear Fights. There were two games on Friday night. The lesser of the two - North Carolina vs. Marquette - was first. Everything about the first game was not as good as the second game as you can see from the score just after halftime.
The lopsided score sucked the life out of the Marquette and Carolina fans as well as the Bartner and PoMiFoS. The pep bands even seemed to lack pep. They politely took turns playing and featured no entertainment at halftime. Marquette was 2-16 from behind the arch and not not much better from anywhere else.
Ohio State-Kentucky was the big draw for the night as the red clad fans spelling out O-H-I-O dominated my corner of the arena. There was much more electricity in the air when the game started and there was even more energy and even a little rivalry between the cheerleaders and pep bands. The polite alternate playing went out the window as fans, bands, and pep squads tried to drown their opposition out. Maybe it was because I was located behind the Ohio State band and near their fans, but it felt like the Buckeyes and their faithful won that contest. Also, it's easier to chant OH-IO than yelling Blue and White or spelling out CATS. The Kentucky pep squad did put on an impressive display by spelling out CATS via back-flips (not pictured but I'm totally getting a video Sunday)and a giant mascot topped, spinning human pyramid.
And wow, I talked a lot about the bands and cheerleaders...
But really, the second game of the night was fantastic. Look a photo of game action:
Ohio State and Kentucky played a back-and-forth game in which neither could take control. At halftime, the Official Mom of PoMiFoS texted me to find out about the game.
PoMiFoS: UNC killed Marquette. UK-OSU is tied at 30 at halftime.
Official Mom of PoMiFoS: Wow, must be a close game
It's true, it was a close game. The only way it could have been closer was if the teams were wearing the same jersey at the same time. The game stayed that way throughout. You can scroll back to the top and see how it ended. Hopefully, North Carolina-Kentucky will be just as good on Sunday evening. Look for me in the crowd, I'll be the guy in a blue shirt.
He'll be pissed I have not posted about our trip to Washington, D.C. for Opening Day now, too.
The trip did not have an auspicious beginning because Newark and Continental Airlines decided to leave Newark for Houston approximately 30 minutes later than scheduled nearly stranding Pics of Me in Front of Stuff and several other irate passengers in Houston. The big plane flying in from New Jersey landed at one end of George Bush International while the little plan heading to Albuquerque took off from the other end of the airport. To compound that, the train system connecting terminals was not working that day and we were all forced to crowd onto shuttle buses. When my fellow passengers and I had completed our mad-dash across the airport they were shutting the doors and we were initially told by an airline employee we had not made it. Fortunately, someone higher on the Continental airlines food chain made an executive decision and put the 10 or so passengers from Newark on the plane to New Mexico. Amazingly, the Official Luggage of Pics of Me in Front of Stuff made it, too. Interestingly or ironically or some other word that starts with an i and ends with an -ly, following landing in the Land of Enchanment, the Official Rental Car of Pics of Me in Front of Stuff which turned out to be a newer, golder version of the Official Vehicle of Pics of Me in Front of Stuff.
Neither vehicle has accelerated uncontrollably and hopefully neither will.
New Mexico, like much of the Southwest, has a completely different landscape than the green rolling hills of PA and NJ in which Pics of Me in Front of Stuff is based. Driving in New Mexico feels like driving on Mars just with oxygen and paved roads.
My first impression of New Mexico culture is that they are very proud of their Native American heritage.
Both old
And new.
The drive to Santa Fe was mostly uneventful. The Official Santa Fe Hotel of Pics of Me in Front of Stuff was the Hotel Plaza Real which is just off the the famous Santa Fe Plaza.
Reviews from Yelp referred to the place as a Hooter's clone. That was far from true, the restaurant was just a country-western bar and grill with predominantly female employees in cowboy hats. There was a great country-western band whose name escapes me. Luckily, it was a brief walk to the Plaza Real Hotel. Since Pics of Me in Front of Stuff has been awake for almost 20 hrs. Time for Pics of Me in Front Stuff needs to pass out for a while.
With apologies to my Canadian and Pittsburgh readers, Pics of Me in Front of Stuff hates Sidney Crosby. Pics of Me in Front of Stuff hates Sid the Squid and his big over-inflated lips with a passion that burns deep the Official Soul of Pics of Me in Front of Stuff. There really is no explanation for it. It is just one of those things.
The part that is most confusing is that Pics of Me in Front of Stuff is not a hockey fan. Pics of Me in Front of Stuff is a fan of most of the sports Philadelphia has to offer but the Flyers are not among those teams. It might be related to the recent loss by the American Olympic Hockey team to the Canadians in the Gold Medal Game. Pics of Me in Front of Stuff feels a strong pride in the Official Home of Pics of Me in Front of Stuff whether it's the Official Hometown, Official State, or Official Country. Cindy Crosby went and scored the game winning goal in OT against Team USA so the correlation is pretty clear. The Bartner, a Pittsburgh sports fan, texted the Official Cell Phone of Pics of Me in Front of Stuff after the loss stating it was bittersweet because it was Crosby that scored. The Official Reply of Pics of Me in Front of Stuff was that he needs to get the fuck out of the Official Country of Pics of ME in Front of Stuff if there was anything sweet about Team USA losing. If only it was that simple. Pics of Me in Front of Stuff felt disdain for Squidney Crybaby even before Team Canada received their gold medals.
I won't lie and say I have not been a lifelong, hardcore Phillies fan, but I hopped on the bandwagon in 2005 well before the current successful run started to take flight in 2007. Besides I could not resist this guy for too long.
But this post is not about baseball in Philly or Pittsburgh, it is about a hockey game in New Jersey. The Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey is home to the New Jersey Devils among other less successful sports franchises.
There is a hockey player in Championship Plaza and not a basketball player for a reason.
As a relatively recent resident of New Jersey I really want to try to cheer for someone from the state. All the teams with New York names, but New Jersey addresses are out for obvious reasons. For professional and major college sports that leaves Seton Hall basketball, Rutgers football, the Nets, and the Devils. Seton Hall basketball is the obvious choice as I am working on my PhD part time there. The Seton Hall Pirates have a rich history in basketball, but recently have been mediocre at best. Rutgers is a good choice because their football uniforms resemble my high school's and they have recently become competitive. The Rutgers-Penn State series is about to restart and I will not even pretend to cheer for the Scarlet Knights. The Nets are a possibility because if I cheer for them now and they become good I can say I was a fan when they were historically bad...before Lebron signs here because of Jay-Z. But seriously, they are historically bad. Finally, there is the Devils who play a sport I am indifferent towards but for which I had tickets.
Advantage Devils.
The game was important for playoff positioning with the Devils hoping to catch the Penguins, the defending Stanley Cup champions, in the NHL's Atlantic Division late in the season. The Devils have owned the Penguins this year and this could end up being a conference championship preview. Aside from all of that, the fans of opposing teams on the East Coast (i.e. Flyers, Rangers, Devils, etc.) hate Sidney Crosby much more than I do. Those circumstances should have created an electric atmosphere among the home fans on a Friday night. Unfortunately, there appears to be an extremely limited number of Devil's fans. An 'omigosh this is a little depressing' number of Devil's fans were at the game for a team that has multiple championships within the past 15 years and one of the best greatest goalies of all time in net.
Martin Brodeur is pretty good.
Why does no one in New Jersey seem to care?
Even though hardly anyone showed up, they still played the game. The game started off quickly with each team scoring a goal within the first 10 minutes of the first period. The scoring stopped through the rest of the next two periods. Marc-Andre Fleury, aside from the sissy name, is a pretty good goalie, too.
Fortunately the fighting frequency picked up.
Fighting for hockey fans is like wrecks for NASCAR fans; it's the real reason they watch. Or at least it's the real reason I watch on the infrequent times I do watch.
If not going to score goals, you might as well have a fight in front of the goal to show your frustration.
There also was a penalty shot which was videotaped poorly by yours truly.
In the third period, the Devils resumed scoring. The Penguins did not. The Devils won 3-1.
As for impressions of the game, several friends of Pics of Me in Front of Stuff told me that watching an NHL game live would make Pics of Me in Front of Stuff fall in love with the game. This was not true. The game was exciting and it was fun to be in the arena, but Pics of Me in Front of Stuff does not feel any stronger affection for hockey than prior to the game. Nor does a team based in New Jersey hold a special place in my heart. Baseball remains the top game to watch in person and football remains the top sport to watch on television. Hockey is in the mix with basketball and English Premier League soccer to watch on television. The Official Universe of Pics of Me in Front of stuff was not rocked by a trip to the...Rock.
CROSBY SUCKS!
Hello! You probably know me, but imaybe not. I don't take sports as seriously as I ued to. I have goals and if I remember to write about them you'll see when I accomplish them.
