My Evening with “Psycho T”
No, it wasn’t nearly as tawdry as it sounds. In fact, the closest I got to #50 this past Wednesday night was about 200 feet. But trust me it had nothing to do with judges’ orders. For the past month I have been working almost non-stop on two political campaigns in Washington, D.C. It was there that I suffered heartbreak with the rest of Tar Heel nation as Creighton unofficially ended our season. So, after a month of 12 hour days and an Election Day spent standing outside a polling place in Chevy Chase, I thought it was time to have a little fun in the nation’s capital.
I had been to Chinatown previously on business and passed by the Verizon Center a few times. It looked like an outstanding venue from the outside and was only a short block from the metro. Plus, one of D.C.’s institutions, Clyde’s Alley , is located directly across from the arena. So, the day after the election, I decided I needed to take in some sports. Right now the hottest tickets in D.C. are for the Washington Capitals who recently made their way into the NHL playoffs. My boss is a Caps season ticket holder, and he offered me tickets to a March 25 game. I initially said I would take them as hockey is an extremely exciting sport to watch in person. Then I discovered the Heels were playing Kansas at the same time and chose to watch the Heels in my hotel room instead. Hey, hindsight is 20/20.
But when I looked at the Verizon Center schedule on April 4, I was pleasantly surprised to see that the worst team in the league, the Washington Wizards, were playing host to the Indiana Pacers whose roster included the ACC’s all-time leading scorer. Needless to say, I wasn’t worried about getting tickets. This season Wizards’ tickets have been as low as 75 cents. I paid a little more than that after posting a listing on craigslist that I needed one ticket for that night’s game.
After oysters and a PBR at Clyde’s, I made a hop, skip and half of a jump across the street to the Verizon Center. My seats were mid-level and angled toward the benches. It was a great view for a NBA game. The Verizon Center was just as impressive on the inside as it was on the outside. The seats were comfortable, the graphics were crisp and it looked as though there wasn’t a bad seat in the house. Considering the Wizards’ record, I half expected their cheerleaders to be in the same state as the squad in Adam Sandler’s The Waterboy. But, they were as well-groomed and cheery as ever. The announcer welcomed spectators by introducing them as “the most powerful fans in the world” which I thought was a clever quip. By tip-off, there were still plenty of empty seats begging to be taken. To be honest, I have seen more people at a Carolina Blue-White game. I also learned how D.C. residents get their exercise as the announcer reminded them of their “Stand Till They Score” tradition. Apparently it is customary for Wizards’ fans to stand until they score their first basket. Luckily for me, they scored on their first possession. But given this tradition and the Wizards record, I guarantee you Washington fans not only have the most power in the NBA but also the most stamina.
Tyler Hansbrough did not start for the Pacers, but John Wall did for the Wizards. Wall is the only semi-superstar on their otherwise weak roster. I had come to the game to watch “Psycho T” play ball for the first time in person. Instead, for at least the first 10 minutes of play I had to watch John Wall. I was still sick to my stomach over Kentucky’s win Monday night and then had to watch one of their former players who epitomizes why Kentucky should not be in the same category with UNC, Kansas, UCLA and dare I say it . . . even Duke. You see the aforementioned powerhouses have what colleges like to call “academic standards.” I know this sounds presumptuous in light of the recent Tar Heel football troubles. The difference is the UNC administration made it clear that once discovered that type of behavior and wrongdoing would not be tolerated, and people lost their jobs. Let’s just say I’m not convinced the same goes for the coaches and administration in Lexington.
After enduring John Wall’s performance, Hansbrough finally went into the game for the Pacers. The bad memories John Wall evoked were only exacerbated by the sight of Tyler Hansbrough playing in a mask. Immediately I had flashbacks to the Spring of 2007. I had been totally oblivious to anything other than Tar Heel basketball or work for the past month and didn’t even know that Hansbrough had been injured. Only before I wrote this did I realize it was yet again broken by a Dookie, Mike Dunleavy, Jr. Really? In a little over five years another Duke elbow breaks Hansbrough’s nose. Gimme a break (no pun intended). And just like it did in 2007, I could tell that the mask was bothering him except at the free throw line where he was 6 of 7 and scored 6 of his 14 points. He also finished with 4 rebounds and a steal. Not bad for a guy with a mask who played 29 minutes.
I went to the Verizon Center that night to fulfill a dream of seeing Tyler Hansbrough play in person. I had great seats, and he had a great game. I was a happy camper, and the only time I clapped was when he scored and occasionally when the home team made an outstanding play. Honestly, I don’t think many of the people were there to see the Wizards play. I saw at least one other Tar Heel in the arena wearing a Carolina blue Hansbrough jersey as well as UK fans cheering just for John Wall. It was also spring break for much of the greater D.C. area and tons of tourists from across the country were in town. So, it wasn’t necessarily the Wizards’ play that drew in the fans but rather an inexpensive chance to watch a professional basketball game. So I hope Washington will always have a NBA team no matter how many times they lose because there will always be someone like me who will want to see them play for one reason or another.