High stepper.

I have been able to attend a lot of basketball games---some have been fun to watch, some nail biters, some snoozers. Yesterday we went to see the Harlem Globetrotters play the Washington Generals. (They have been playing one another for years...same teams, different players.) The Globetrotters beat the Generals once again---this time by 22 points. I have actually seen the Generals beat the Globetrotters but it is very rare.

When I heard the teams were going to be in town I knew I wanted to go to the game. Hearing "Sweet Georgia Brown" play in the stadium was like coming home again. I believe the last time I saw the Globetrotters play was about 25 years ago and the time before that probably when I was 11. I witnessed back then the best of the best---Meadowlark Lemon, Curly Neal, and the rest of the team were not only very funny, they were incredible ball players. When you have a standard set like that, it's tough to clear the bar. Yesterday the bar was not cleared but it was fun to watch. For the little kids it was one laugh after another. They loved the jokes; everything from throwing water into the seats (later it was paper---an old standard) to the pulling down of pants of one of the General's players. (One player had his entire jersey and pants ripped away and had to run to the locker room.)

Everything is staged of course, but there was one part that was not. One of the players from the Generals crashed into the rotating advertisements---at first I thought it was a gag, but when the teams came rushing out, I knew it was not. He was okay and everyone high-fived but everyone was worried, you could tell. The best part of the game was when the guys played basketball. They are really gifted athletes and can jam with the best. I am not sure why more are not in the NBA, I suspect they are probably a notch down and figured why not go with the Globetrotters. Less money, more fun.

The game took exactly 2 hours as it is timed to be over so they can rest up for the 7 PM show. They are in town for 2 nights and they have to fill as many seats as possible and sell as much food and basketballs as they can. The basketballs can be autographed at court side; I would have done it, but these players are not well known like the players of old.

The photo above is an example of how high these guys can jump. I am not sure but I would say he is at least 5 feet off the ground. When you compare that to my range, that would be about a 4' 10" difference in jumping ability. The Globetrotters are fun, and I am glad I went---but as much as I liked the game, I know on January 15 I will be seeing the Bulls play from 16 rows from the court. I was given tickets for the holidays and you can be sure taking pictures at this game will be no laughing matter.

Thanks for stopping by.