Spring break! Whooo!

I've been blogging for a few years now, but I still have time for some blogging firsts. This entry will be my first ever blog written (literally) on the road. This week is spring break for UNC-Wilmington, so I've been able to do a bit of traveling with Bryan by my side (in this case in the driver's seat). Now we're on our way back to Wilmington to get back to work after about half a spring break.

We started our trip in Charlotte. Byron, who I've known since I was born, moved down there a few weeks ago, so we went to spend some time with him and go to a couple of Mikecats games. Jackling also flew in from Boston just for the weekend. That's dedication.

Friday night's game was against Kobe Bryant and the Lakers. Bryan wore his Kobe jersey, as did about half of the people in the seats.

The highlight of the night, at least according to Sportscenter, came when Kobe threw the ball off the backboard to himself and then hit a shot. It was #1 on the next day's Sportscenter, but all four of us that were at the game were shocked that it was ranked so highly, partly because it wasn't that cool and partly because the dunks at 2 and 3 were nasty. Kobe's #1 spot was an upset on the Nate Robinson first-two-years-in-the-dunk-contest level.

In the end, Kobe's #1 play wasn't worth enough points, and the Cats helped the Lakers along their recent three-game skid.

On Saturday night, we watched Charlotte take on the Golden State Warriors. Again, a large percentage of the fans in the stands were rooting against the home team, pulling, instead, for Charlotte native and former Davidson star Stephen Curry, whose dad Dell is a commentator for the Bobcats organization.

Even though I've lived within 4 hours of Charlotte for more than 20 years now, I haven't spent a lot of time there. In fact, the last time I was in the Queen City (of NC), my purpose of visit was to watch the Charlotte Hornets. So, I wouldn't really say I have my finger on the pulse of NC's largest city.

But, when I do talk to people who "know" Charlotte, they all say the same thing: Charlotte isn't a basketball city. I think there's a lot of animosity about the way George Shin left with the Hornets. NASCAR and the Panthers don't help.

Obviously there were some extenuating circumstances (Kobe and Steph Curry), but I did not see a lot of Bobcats fans in my two times in the arena. I didn't see a lot of Gerald Wallace jerseys, even though he's a current All-Star and permanent badass. Wallace looked especially dominant in person. (I did, however, see a lot of Gerald Wallace shooting sleeves, which is one of the best promotional giveaways I've ever heard of.)

So, based on my limited perspective, I'd agree that Charlotte is not a basketball city.

After the weekend, Bryan, Byron, my dad, and I went to the Eric Clapton concert in the RBC Center in Raleigh on Monday night. Monday night is a weird night for a concert, but the place was pretty slam-packed, probably in part because Roger Daltrey of The Who opened for Clapton. In other words, it was a great show.

I'm also pretty sure Kenny Powers from Eastbound & Down was in the audience. I say Kenny Powers and not Danny McBride, the actor who plays Powers, because I'm thinking that he was filming an episode of his show, which is primarily filmed in the Wilmington area. I can't be sure it was him because we were sitting pretty far away, but I'm fully expecting to see concert footage in one episode of the show's next season.

I think my favorite weekends (using the term liberally in this case) are the weekends that leave me looking forward instead of looking back. It's fun to reminisce, but it's more fun to pre-minisce.

I feel like one of my students, writing about my weekend and such. That's what they write about all the time.

Quote of the Week:

"Whooo."

-Rick Flair at Friday's Bobcats game