No Turkey For You...
As either 'Big Black Guy' or 'Even Bigger Black Guy' said in the movie "Trading Places" (I swear those are the actual character names listed on the movie's IMDB page): "It ain't cool to be no jive turkey so close to Thanksgiving!"
Yet tonight, I think I was a jive turkey, as I missed out on the opportunity to win a free $25 turkey for Thanksgiving...For the first time in my life, I would have been able to sponsor my family's Thanksgiving dinner, yet some things aren't meant to be, I guess...
You see, the younger sister of one of my good friend's from Rice is a freshmen guard for the Texas Tech women's basketball team and some of us went to their game tonight against the University of Houston...
And yes, I did say we went to a women's college basketball game--the first women's game I've been to in a long time--but it was a good time...Oh, and the tickets were free...
Anyway, as we were walking in, a member of the U of H marketing staff asked me if any of us would be interested in taking part in the halftime festivities: a five-person relay race...It seemed like this girl was having trouble finding people to participate, so after recruiting two other friends to participate, we were set to go...
The set-up of the race was for each person to run down the floor with a basketball between their legs while also flapping their arms like a turkey...Then, once we got to the opposite end of the court, we were supposed to hit a lay-up and then hand the ball off to the next participant...
Each member of the winning team would get a free t-shirt and a gift certificate for a $25 turkey, although it looked more like a money order for $25...I'd already gotten my hands on a free t-shirt during the first half (more on that later), but I have to admit that I was looking forward to the opportunity to win a free turkey for Thanksgiving...At the same time, in my head I was thinking I would give it to someone else if we won, as I think most of the families on our team will be spoken for when it comes to food by the time Thanksgiving rolls around...
But still, on paper it seemed like my team would have the advantage, as my team was made up of four guys (three in their twenties and one likely in his early teens) and one girl, while the opposing team was made up of five females covering an age range of probably 12 to 45...
Yet tonight wasn't our night, I guess...Clearly it was ladies' night, which made a lot of sense considering we were at a women's basketball game...
However, I still had a chance to win it for my team, but I bricked my layup...The other anchor--who I'd beat down the court--made her layup on her first try...I only had one shot, and it was from my left-side (I'm right-handed), but yes, I bricked it and we went home empty-handed...
Let's see now, here are a couple other excuses I've come up with...Only one member of our team (the kid in his early teens) made his layup on his first try...Someone also pointed out to me after-the-fact that the lady I was going up against was cheating by not properly holding the ball between her legs, by not flapping her arms (although I wasn't doing a great job of flapping either), and by running too early at the end before taking her shot...
Or maybe it was karma coming back to haunt me...You see, last Halloween I dressed up as a member of the U of H band, so maybe I received some negative karma on the U of H home floor...
I also felt that I didn't have the proper shoes for this event, as the shoes I was wearing were originally laced up to never be tied...So maybe the fact that I couldn't really afford a freak turkey race accident was weighing heavy on my mind...
Finally, my right arm was bothering me a bit, as I think I may have gotten a spider bite on my wrist the other day...Either that, or maybe I've had an 'allergic rubber-band reaction' to the new bands I've been sporting...
Oh well, whatever the reason for the loss--and despite my disappointment in my performance--I was at least happy with my sportsmanship after the tough loss, high-fiving and congratulating each of our opponents...
Really, I think I was most disappointed for Porsche--with one of those apostrophe things on the 'e'--the one female member of our team...You see, right before we started I overheard her say, "Man, I could really use that turkey!"
She didn't seem to be too disappointed in the performance of the three white stiffs on her team, but I really wish we could have won her that turkey...Maybe her statement was on my mind a little too much as I approached for my shot and maybe I should have gone to my right hand, and in doing so, block out my opponent's lane...
But yes, she didn't seem too disappointed that she didn't get that turkey...Still, I was a little nervous for the first few minutes there--and at one point I even considered leaving the game a few minutes early to avoid getting jumped--but things ended up being ok and we enjoyed the end of the game...
Finally, I mentioned above that I'd already gotten my hands on a free t-shirt, although it did come as a bit of a surprise...During an early timeout, some of the U of H cheerleaders were throwing t-shirts to the fans and I soon found myself yelling "What's Up Baby!?!?!" at one of the female cheerleaders...
Within seconds--and as I was looking in a totally different direction--I was hit square in the chest by a red t-shirt, although I took me a second to locate it in the seat in front of me...Luckily, one of my buddies didn't realize there was a free shirt in the seat next to him, and I was able to claim my prize...
Thus, I didn't walk out of there with a free turkey, but I did get a free t-shirt...
That being said, anyone want a U of H shirt?
Yet tonight, I think I was a jive turkey, as I missed out on the opportunity to win a free $25 turkey for Thanksgiving...For the first time in my life, I would have been able to sponsor my family's Thanksgiving dinner, yet some things aren't meant to be, I guess...
You see, the younger sister of one of my good friend's from Rice is a freshmen guard for the Texas Tech women's basketball team and some of us went to their game tonight against the University of Houston...
And yes, I did say we went to a women's college basketball game--the first women's game I've been to in a long time--but it was a good time...Oh, and the tickets were free...
Anyway, as we were walking in, a member of the U of H marketing staff asked me if any of us would be interested in taking part in the halftime festivities: a five-person relay race...It seemed like this girl was having trouble finding people to participate, so after recruiting two other friends to participate, we were set to go...
The set-up of the race was for each person to run down the floor with a basketball between their legs while also flapping their arms like a turkey...Then, once we got to the opposite end of the court, we were supposed to hit a lay-up and then hand the ball off to the next participant...
Each member of the winning team would get a free t-shirt and a gift certificate for a $25 turkey, although it looked more like a money order for $25...I'd already gotten my hands on a free t-shirt during the first half (more on that later), but I have to admit that I was looking forward to the opportunity to win a free turkey for Thanksgiving...At the same time, in my head I was thinking I would give it to someone else if we won, as I think most of the families on our team will be spoken for when it comes to food by the time Thanksgiving rolls around...
But still, on paper it seemed like my team would have the advantage, as my team was made up of four guys (three in their twenties and one likely in his early teens) and one girl, while the opposing team was made up of five females covering an age range of probably 12 to 45...
Yet tonight wasn't our night, I guess...Clearly it was ladies' night, which made a lot of sense considering we were at a women's basketball game...
However, I still had a chance to win it for my team, but I bricked my layup...The other anchor--who I'd beat down the court--made her layup on her first try...I only had one shot, and it was from my left-side (I'm right-handed), but yes, I bricked it and we went home empty-handed...
Let's see now, here are a couple other excuses I've come up with...Only one member of our team (the kid in his early teens) made his layup on his first try...Someone also pointed out to me after-the-fact that the lady I was going up against was cheating by not properly holding the ball between her legs, by not flapping her arms (although I wasn't doing a great job of flapping either), and by running too early at the end before taking her shot...
Or maybe it was karma coming back to haunt me...You see, last Halloween I dressed up as a member of the U of H band, so maybe I received some negative karma on the U of H home floor...
I also felt that I didn't have the proper shoes for this event, as the shoes I was wearing were originally laced up to never be tied...So maybe the fact that I couldn't really afford a freak turkey race accident was weighing heavy on my mind...
Finally, my right arm was bothering me a bit, as I think I may have gotten a spider bite on my wrist the other day...Either that, or maybe I've had an 'allergic rubber-band reaction' to the new bands I've been sporting...
Oh well, whatever the reason for the loss--and despite my disappointment in my performance--I was at least happy with my sportsmanship after the tough loss, high-fiving and congratulating each of our opponents...
Really, I think I was most disappointed for Porsche--with one of those apostrophe things on the 'e'--the one female member of our team...You see, right before we started I overheard her say, "Man, I could really use that turkey!"
She didn't seem to be too disappointed in the performance of the three white stiffs on her team, but I really wish we could have won her that turkey...Maybe her statement was on my mind a little too much as I approached for my shot and maybe I should have gone to my right hand, and in doing so, block out my opponent's lane...
But yes, she didn't seem too disappointed that she didn't get that turkey...Still, I was a little nervous for the first few minutes there--and at one point I even considered leaving the game a few minutes early to avoid getting jumped--but things ended up being ok and we enjoyed the end of the game...
Finally, I mentioned above that I'd already gotten my hands on a free t-shirt, although it did come as a bit of a surprise...During an early timeout, some of the U of H cheerleaders were throwing t-shirts to the fans and I soon found myself yelling "What's Up Baby!?!?!" at one of the female cheerleaders...
Within seconds--and as I was looking in a totally different direction--I was hit square in the chest by a red t-shirt, although I took me a second to locate it in the seat in front of me...Luckily, one of my buddies didn't realize there was a free shirt in the seat next to him, and I was able to claim my prize...
Thus, I didn't walk out of there with a free turkey, but I did get a free t-shirt...
That being said, anyone want a U of H shirt?
posted by Charles De Mar at 11:34 PM
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