Opening Day

For the uninitiated, please be advised that during college basketball games, people do usually stand up from time to time. Some of the spectators can be observed clapping, cheering, screaming, and sometimes even cursing the zebras. Do not panic. Note that this is far from being weird. It is normal. Most specially, when the spectators are rooting for one of the teams to win (which is usually the case). You are there, along with all the people at your side of the arena, precisely, to express your shared conviction that, you are God's chosen people and the folks on the other side are the scum of the earth. (Incidentally, when we play against morons, we rarely, if ever, sit down. The seats are there for time outs. Needless to say, we will get to sit a lot this year.)

Last weekend was opening day. We were playing the traditional doormats, so there wasn't really much to stand up for. I stood up along with a number of people in my row early in the fourth, when somebody tapped me from behind, and asked that I, ehem, sit down. Look, I have no problem giving in to polite requests of nice folks who do not share the same passion and excitement that I have for a silly game (who by the way could have stayed home, watched the game on TV and saved 120 pesos in the process). But, it's an entirely different matter for folks who talk to you as if you just decapitated their dog.

So I looked at her, and gave her this terrified look - like I was looking at the face of Evil itself. I think I even managed to get a chuckle or two from her young alalay. Later in the game, when the Hail Mary team sank a flurry of baskets to seal the win, and everybody was on their feet, I turned around, faced the nice lady, and gave her the best Michael Jordan (circa 1992 vs. Portland, when all His Airness' threes were going in) impression that I could muster.

Hey, what can I do?