Monday, May 08, 2006

Nothin' But Net

I am sure that someone will tell me that, after three years of living here in Italy, I should be a soccer fan. However, I guess I left my sports-loving little heart in the great state of Indiana, because I'm not a soccer fan. Hardly. I'm a basketball girl, plain and simple.

I have loved some aspect of the game of basketball for quite some time now: from cheering for the Big Ten teams during March Madness to watching my dad's junior high girls basketball squad progress year after year, but I especially like the NBA. Being back in Indy over these past few weeks, I spent some real quality time with my family yelling at the television, as the NBA playoffs began and our hometown Indiana Pacers faced off against the statstically better New Jersey Nets. Somehow I ended up back in the states at just the right time for an NBA fan, as the playoffs meant televised games nightly, and my mother and I stayed up late late hours watching all of the line ups: Cleveland against the Washington Wizards, the Phoenix Suns against the L.A. Lakers, Miami versus Chicago. Being home for two and a half weeks, watching NBA games almost nightly, seeing the Pacers win against the Nets: I guess you could say I got my basketball fix for a little while.

But while you win some, you lose some too: on Thursday the Pacers closed off their best-of-seven series against New Jersey with a loss in game six, sending the Nets off to match up with Miami, and sending the Pacers into vacation mode. As I looked online Friday morning to read the news, I sighed. Losing in the playoffs can be heartbreaking, and I felt like another year of basketball had just been washed away.

Looking again, though, I discovered that the Phoenix Suns, my second favorite team, had just won their sixth game and were about to head into a seventh game against the Lakers--a win meaning they would head on to the next series, continuing down the path toward the finals. This morning I checked to see if they had won game 7. Happily, they had! A big sweeping win against Los Angeles. I read about it and looked at pictures until my head ached.

So I'm back to cheering--for the Suns this time--and basketball is fun again. I've even been able to follow it on SI: SportItalia, the Italian attempt at ESPN, and tonight I got to watch part of the series-winning game (one day late, but still...). No matter what--in wins and losses, upsets and victories--you gotta love this game!

Go Suns!

-Jackie

4 Comments:

At 8:41 AM, Blogger Cynthia Rae said...

Poor Pacers! Isn't this ALWAYS the story with these guys? I am not a huge fan, but have enjoyed a game or two in my day.

I heard that the Final Four would be in Indy again...ummmm next year?

Boom Baby!
Cyn
ps. Tried to call yesterday, but our phone is acting up...AGAIN!

 
At 12:28 PM, Blogger Corrie said...

Cyndi: Are you a bigger football fan than a Pacer fan? I am glad that Indy sports are getting to be more impressive--I love the Colts! Hopefully we can talk soon. Maybe this afternoon I will try to call? I had a lesson cancelled and might have time...

today's our anniversary! (i have to post about it too!)

Jackie

 
At 5:15 PM, Blogger Unknown said...

I guess I was a total basketball fan before I left for Europe. I watched and followed all that stuff and then went to Europe and loved Soccer. Well since moving back, Steve Nash is just everywhere here in Vancouver so I guess from time to time I do check back in and see what's going on... It's so fascinating to me that this little guy is MVP two years running...

 
At 11:03 PM, Blogger Corrie said...

I know, I think it's amazing about Steve Nash being MVP too! He's such a solid guy. I'm really impressed with the Suns and this past series. I think Kobe is a little angry that he didn't get MVP this year...

-Jackie

 

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