I might be tempted to think that if I have seen one Harlem Globetrotters game. I have seen them all. I might also say the same thing for Shakespeare plays or Bob Dylan concerts, but I keep going back for more of each.
So it was that I found myself at the Globetrotters’ performance at the War Memorial on Feb. 11, along with parents and grandparents who were introducing youngsters to an authentic piece of Americana.
Predictably, they passed, dribbled and danced to “Sweet Georgia Brown,” harassed the referees, dunked resoundingly, threw water and confetti into the crowd, passed blindly through the defense, dribbled circles around their perennial opponents the Washington Generals, and squeaked out victory number 22,500+.
Despite the familiar routine and inevitable outcome, the crowd of over 6,200 howled with laughter and gasped at athletic maneuvers that left the Generals flatfooted.
The Globetrotters, in their 82nd year, icons of the days of barnstorming, still relate to what they do best — entertain. They involved the crowd in their antics, mostly focusing on kids who enjoyed a brief taste of on-court celebrity, either individually as the star of a particular “Globetrotter moment” or en masse for the singing of YMCA.
And, true to their fan-centered philosophy, they showed up an hour early for photos with kids, and left 40 minutes after the game to accommodate autograph seekers that ringed the court.
And as much of a routine as it might be for us, it is more so for them, one long road trip. But, not for a minute did it seem like it was anything but fun for everyone in the house.
