Bango and Bucks

waiting to go on the court

back in the tunnel

Richmond school band coming off of the court

Mira looking at herself on the jumbotron

One of our main player dudes

Bango coming up to give Trevor the business

Happy with all his goods!

It was going to be a fun evening.  Daughter number 1 of the Many Young People here was to toot her clarinet for the local NBA team - the Milwaukee Bucks.  We were enticed by a cheap ticket price and the 'thrill' factor to see our daughter at center court with her classmates (not flubbing mind you) the anthem.  We get our tickets scanned, pass the turn style and just as we did a very nice lady in her mid-30's came up to me.  "Would you like your kids to be part of the Buck's starting line-up tonight?"  Well, sure!  What do we do.  So she tells me where we should all be at a certain time and she disappears into the crowd.  We go to our spot and there's hardly anyone there but a man with his daughter.  Eventually two more come.  And that's it.  The lady comes back with two helpers.  We sign wavers.  Get important back-stage pass stickers.  The kids don t-shirts and hats and green beads.  And off we go into the bowels of the Bradley Center!  We stay in a holding place for a few minutes.  Toronto Raptors are coming back to the locker room after practicing.  They are very, very tall when you are next to them.  Then we head down a fancy hallway.  We pass the Raptor's locker room.  They are chirping chanting some pre-game thing.  We go by the Buck's locker room.  Just some talking going on.  Then we head out to the court!  The kids sit down right in front of the Buck's bench.  We parents are right behind them.  Eventually it gets close to game time after some presentations of this or that and here comes the players standing all around us.  I felt like I was eight again.  They are super tall.  And polite - most of them.  And really nice to the kids.  So the kids get their pictures on the jumbo tron.  Bango the mascot comes over and harasses T. a bit with his hat.  Then lights go out and crazy-loud music and the kids stand there with their hands out giving 'high fives' to the Buck's players as they are introduced.  And then it is over.  And we give back our special back stage pass stickers so we don't go to places we aren't invited.  Then we become ordinary again and schlup up the stairs to find our seats up high over center court.

But that's not all!  Trevor was a lucky guy.  He was sitting with a friend and because he was in that section, got a coupon for a free McD's quarter pounder with cheese!  Then Bango shot up a t-shirt.  Trevor had snuck into the aisle and snatched it.  He was one happy kid.

So our ordinary fun night turned out to be a memory for them.  And for us too!

Now off to the next fun event.  I'm to chaperon a bunch of 6th graders through the big "Mummies" exhibit in downtown Milwaukee.  Could be interesting....

p.s.  The Canadian anthem was sang by this male tenor voice that was bone-chilling beautiful.  The sounds and the song.  Hats off to you north of the border!  Your anthem is lovely.