photo credit: jeffk

The Toros are going on the road to spank the Idaho Bitc, I mean Stampedes. I love basketball. Love it. Or at least I thought I knew what it was to Love Basketball.

Until tonight (okay, technically yesterday, but I haven’t been able to get to sleep) when I saw the Austin Toros play, courtside, courtesy of my High Roller fiancee, who has courtside season tickets.

That’s right.

Courtside.

I don’t care what the team is, you aren’t having a good time at a ball game until you get courtside seats. I thought sitting in box seats was the way to see a game. Maybe football. Perhaps even hockey. But to truly experience the love of a basketball game, you MUST sit courtside.

And man. A D-League game? Is Love. You know the fans aren’t there just to be seen, or because that’s what you do when there’s a home game in town. It’s because they really, fanatically, crazily, support their players. Even though they know that, chances are, they’ll get rotated out (i.e., called up to a major league team, most likely that they’re affilaited with or owned by) if they’re any good. But then you get to say you knew them when, since everyone seems so laid back and approachable as a D-Leager.

Case in point, tonight I got to meet each one of the starters and get all their autographs on an official ball. When any of them get sent up, I’ll keep on following their careers.

Not that, a major league basketball game like say, the Wizards vs the Cavs isn’t any fun. It’s just. Who the HELL loses to the freaking Cleveland Cavaliers? Come ON Wizards! That name is a curse. Ever since we lost our dream team back when we almost beat Jordan….

But I digress. They aren’t my team anymore. The Toros are. I adore them, singularly and as a whole. And it may sound crazy but I KNOW they will bring home a victory on Thursday. Watch it on NBA TV or online, and you’ll see.

Oh, and there are some game highlights here.