CHAPTER 17- WWE AND NBA LIVE IN SACRAMENTO
I also went to Sacramento a couple of times again that quarter, to watch some sporting and entertainment events. First was the WWE RAW event at the Arco arena. I haven’t really been a big WWE follower and I had always found the whole setup quite silly. But I was curious about it nonetheless. I was interested in seeing the event live, to understand why a lot of people were total WWE fanatics. Also we would all have a lot of fun.
A visibly excited MS and AZ, Dwarak, Jakki, JB and I set out that evening and got into the arena and found the atmosphere electric. There were about 10000 people there and each one was screaming on top of his/her voice. I also got into the mood and started screaming random stuff, though I didn’t even know all the wrestlers names and their ‘history’. Most of the superstars were there including Cena, Edge, Orton, Jericho, Kane, Mysterio.
To see them wrestle looked totally artificial, I must say. Some wrestlers started falling and reacting even before their opponent's punch landed on them. I noticed one such anomaly when Jericho hit Cena and chuckled, only to be greeted by a dirty stare from a couple of bouncer-like guys, who could’ve thrown me all the way into the ring from the stands, with one hand. They were Cena fans and probably thought I had chuckled to express my happiness seeing Cena get beaten. I decided to keep my thoughts to myself after that if I wanted to return home in one piece.
In another match, the self-proclaimed world’s strongest man, Mark Henry (he was huuuuge…must have been some 2000 kgs and about 7 feet tall) was beating up Mysterio and a pint size kid (he was one third my height) of about 10 sitting beside me, stood up on his seat and screamed “Henry…you bas****…you leave him alone or I ll come and throw you out of the ring”. I didn’t know how to react. Henry could’ve pushed him two rows back with his little finger. But from his voice, I could see he meant every word of it. That’s how passion transcends barriers like age and size. Though it was a good enjoyable one time experience, now that the curiosity is fulfilled, I wouldn’t pay to watch another WWE event again.
Another time, I went for an NBA match at the Arco arena. I badly wanted to watch the Lakers play in Sacramento as I am a lakers supporter but they weren’t to come until after I left for India. So I decided to watch the team where one of my favorite players, Lebron James plays- Cleveland Cavaliers. The cavaliers were to come to Sacramento to play against the Sacramento Kings, who are nowadays called only the Kings nowadays as they are an potential embarrassment to the capital city if they carry its name. They were last in the western conference, and by a large margin. The cavaliers were comfortably on top of the eastern conference table and if they got a win here, they would be through to the playoffs. It was also an important game for Lebron personally because he had been in the form of his life lately and had got 3 triple-doubles back to back. Were he to get one more, he would be the first player in the NBA ever to do that.
I had to go solo, as the others weren’t really interested in basketball. Without a second thought, I bravely took the yolobus and changed twice to get there to the Arco arena, having just directions from Google maps and with no idea how I was going to get back after the match as it would be late. It didn’t matter at that time. All that mattered was seeing Lebron in action.
So, asking a lot of people on the way for directions and advice, I finally got to the arco arena and took my seat. It was a really exciting atmosphere, with a full house of about 15000 people. I talked to a few people before the match and everyone was just wondering by how many points the Kings would get thrashed and not about the result.
It was one hell of a game though. It started on totally unexpected lines, with the kings getting a 15 point lead at the end of the first quarter. At halftime, they managed to increase the lead further to about 25 points. Everyone was stunned, from the players of both teams, to every person in the crowd. The Kings were growing in confidence and the crowd was cheering louder too sensing something special here. After all it had been 7 games since the Kings had won a match and to win against the best team of the eastern conference with the best player in the world, it would be special indeed.
I was discussing the game with the girl beside me and said it looked like it’s going to be a comfortable win for the Kings, she looked at me with a twinkle in the eye and asked me if that was the first time to a kings game. I told her it was so and she said that explains why I do not know about the Kings. She told me “Mark my words. The kings can really perform miracles no other team can. Like losing from this position”. I was like “No way. 25 points is too much of a lead to make up”.
The game got underway again and the kings left off where they started. They were playing like they were possessed, banking on the now-excited crowd's backing and also the DJ’s music. Yes that’s one thing I noticed which was really unique about the NBA. They have a DJ and play with the music on. That also works to the advantage of the home team, as the DJ plays adrenaline pumping music when the home team has the ball and droning music when the away team does. I guess the sounds you hear affect your tempo and rhythm. So it’s better for the away players to wear earplugs while travelling.
Towards the end of the fourth quarter, the cavaliers went on a 12-2 run, thanks to a few three pointers by Lebron. So with the momentum with the cavaliers but a 15 point lead with the kings, the 3rd quarter ended. I still thought it was way too much to make up in the second quarter, unless the kings play real real badly and go on something like a 0-15 streak.
And that’s exactly what happened. Suddenly, where there were ferocious warriors battling for the kings, there seemed to be clueless amateurs ball watching as Lebron and co started steamrolling their way to the basket. With 30 seconds to go, Lebron hit a 3 pointer to make his tally go to 40 and draw the cavaliers level. The kings messed up their final shot at the basket, with a bad pass which was intercepted and it was end of time. The score was tied 102-102.
I was shocked at how the kings had thrown it away and got a “see…I told you” look from the girl beside me. In the overtime, as expected, it was the cavaliers all the way and they won the game with a 10 point lead. To have been 25 up at halftime and lose a game by ten points, I have to say no other team could do that. Hail the kings for the miracles they can perform. Lebron ended with 56 points and some of the best three pointers and dribbles and tricks and dunks and alley-oops I have ever witnessed. I was lucky to have been there.
I looked down at my watch and it was 10 pm. I was totally panicked as the last yolobus to Davis would be at 1030 in downtown. I ran out of the stadium, pushing the already dejected Kings fans, hearing their trailing curses, but not registering in my state of panic. Thankfully, I got a cab as soon as I went outside and asked him to go as fast as he could to downtown. He told me we just might make it in time, if the traffic wasn’t too heavy. Luckily it wasn’t and we reached at 1020. I gave the driver a generous tip and got down relieved and waited at the deserted bus stop.
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