Who Should You Take to the Game?

(DGA Productions)


By: Greg Payne

Part 1:

I was selling my books back one day last May when I ran into a buddy of mine, who happens to be a pretty big Celtics fan. He's been a guest on my radio show and whenever we see each other the conversation will inevitably turn to basketball at some point. I value his opinion when it comes to the Celtics and the NBA.

I had recently obtained tickets to Game 5 against the Magic and was proud to announce it to him.

He shot back with, "If there's a Game 7, I'm going to Game 7. My buddy has tickets. He had tickets to Game 1, too, but he took this girl."

WHAT?!

That line fed the next ten minutes of conversation, with us basically agreeing that if a guy has just met a girl and is trying to impress her, he DOES NOT take her to one of the most important playoff games of the season. Clearly he values this girl he barely knows over the Celtics and that is NOT acceptable. If it's like your one or two year anniversary, that's one thing. But you do not potentially kill the atmosphere of one of the most important playoff games by trying to impress a girl!

So this got me thinking a little bit. To which games do we invite our closest friends/die hard Celtics fans and to which games do we invite the new girl we want to impress on what is hopefully a memorable first date?

The way I see it, there are a few distinct matchup scenarios that she simply CANNOT be a part of.

1. The LeBron/Kobe scenario: Since both the Cavaliers and Lakers grace "Top 4 Team" status in the NBA, you need all your guns blazing if you're going to one of these games. Whenever Cleveland or Los Angeles comes to town, it's a big deal and should be treated as such.

Now, some might say games like those are the perfect games to bring a girl to because they'll be that much more entertaining and will undoubtedly feature a killer atmosphere. BUT, if she knows nothing about the game of basketball, you don't want to be caught in the following scenario with a minute left:

The Celtics are in the midst of a tenacious comeback that has progressed quite nicely since the start of the second half. There's two minutes left and Ray Allen is about to curl off a screen and bury a three-pointer to tie the game. But, instead of watching Allen's clutchness, you're stuck getting your arm pulled by the girl and hearing, "Oh my gosh, look at that cute old man dancing in his seat!" It's happened before, trust me.

No, Kobe and LeBron requires the guys. You need some foul mouthed friends who aren't afraid to mix it up with any potential Lakers/Cavs fans sitting near who and whose electric personalities will unleash those of the more initially timid Celtics fans also sitting nearby. You'd be surprised how many fans are self-conscious when it comes to screaming at the top of their lungs when Allen or Pierce or whoever displays some quality heroics. But, place them next to two or three guys who will say whatever, whenever and it's nearly impossible for them not to get caught up in the fun of it all. It's like you're the nervous guy at a bar, only instead you're looking for a wingman rather than a date.

2. The Division/Conference Battle Scenario: I don't care if it's the first game of the season or the last game of the season, you don't mess around when it comes to Conference/Division supremacy. Those of you who followed the Celtics/Magic/Cavaliers are all too familiar with how insane and tense these battles for home court advantage can be. I don't wish to sound like a broken record, but we saw how key homecourt advantage was for the Celtics back when they won the title two seasons ago.

The Eastern Conference might have finally reclaimed Conference superiority over the West, with Boston, Cleveland, Orlando and Washington at the top, as well as Miami, Toronto and Atlanta still technically in the mix. So just maybe, this scenario applies more this year than it has any other year.

3. The Filet Mignon/Salisbury Streak Scenario: While the very best games on the schedule are off limits (the filet mignon), so are the very worst games on the schedule (the salisbury steak).

There's nothing worse than bringing her to a Kings, Bucks or Timberwolves game, in which the Celtics have won the contest by halftime and the second half is just a mishmash of garbage time and experimental lineups. Because if it's that boring, as much as you or I might appreciate it, there's a solid chance the first thing she'll do when she gets home is call her girlfriend up and complain about how lifeless the game was.

The worst games should be reserved for those scenarios where you absolutely owe someone tickets who you REALLY don't want to take. Like when you lose a nasty bet and owe someone tickets. Just send them to a Bucks game and let that be the end of it. Debt paid.

There are specific scenarios with some of the lower tier teams you can take advantage of though. For whatever reason, the Bobcats ALWAYS give the Celtics a war, no matter which city they are playing in .

Also, when it comes to the Timberwolves, you should bring a buddy who shared in the misery of the 2006-2007 season with you to salivate at Al Jefferson, but then casually glance upward at the most recent championship banner to remind yourselves why he had to be sacrificed and expelled to one of the most unforgiving regions of these here United States. It's like the Siberia of the western hemisphere. Or, bring your Celtics-obsessed father who, during Al's reign here in Boston, would have at least once muttered: "He reminds me so much of Kevin McHale."

So, when can you take a girl? Is it based on matchup or time of season? Do you wait until a potentially injured player is set to return?

Stay tuned for Part 2.