Jan. 25, 2008

Courtesy of athensmessenger.com

The Harlem Globetrotters, billed as the 'World's Greatest Basketball Show', did what they usually do before an enthralled crowd at the Convocation Center Wednesday night. They wowed them with feats of basketball prowess, made them laugh with an assortment of silly jokes, and, of course, came from behind to beat the Washington Generals.

The problem, at least for this sportswriter, is how do you describe or report on an event that has been around so long it's nearly a part of the collective consciousness.

You say the words 'Harlem Globetrotters' and everyone, and I mean everyone, instantly has at least a general idea of what you're talking about. It's 'Sweet Georgia Brown' and the Magic Circle. It's the ball-on-the-string and the bucket-full-of-confetti gags. It's nicknames like 'Sweet Pea' and 'Big Easy.' It's star-spangled warm-up suits and a red, white and blue ball.

The Globetrotters have been doing what they do for 82 years. The organization, which bills itself as "Ambassadors of Goodwill", has played more games than any other team in sports history with better than 20,000 games over the last eight decades spread across six continents and 118 different countries.

They've played in front of popes and presidents, and have remained true to their roots. Initially a barn-storming outfit that roamed the midwest in the late 1920s, the Globetrotters are one of the few sports teams that actually live up to their nickname.

The Globetrotters, performing 240 shows in 200 North American cities as part of their 2008 "Magic As Ever" tour, had their stop in Athens on Wednesday. The show was set up by Ohio University's Center for Sports Administration with the help of Jim Kahler ('81), director of the sports administration masters program.

So where to begin?

Perhaps with what was new. T-shirt firing guns, loud dance music and an assortment of mascots - named Globie, Lil'G and Big G - are all fairly recent touches to the show. An assortment of games, such as Monster Tricycle Racing, are used to spice up timeouts. An acrobatic crew provided one second-half diversion.

Despite those departures for modern tastes, the show remains built around the Globetrotters interaction with each other, the referees, the patsy Generals and the fans in the building.

"Big Easy" Lofton was the Globetrotters' leader. He stole purses, sat on laps, vexed the referees at every turn, and even enticed one court-side spectator with a dance at mid-court.

"Hi-Rise" Brown took over running the show in the third quarter when Lofton was sidelined with an 'injury.' Know for his high-flying slams, Brown at one point threw down a wicked, two-handed dunk, then pulled himself upside-down on the rim to tap his feet on the backboard.

There were others. "Blenda" Rodriguez dazzled with nifty ball handling. "Sweet Pea" Shine executed some sliding and spinning dribbling that would have made Curly Neal proud. "General" Grant drilled a set-shot 3-pointer from just across half-court.

Despite the antics, which included the admission that the Generals' coach was a Miami RedHawks fan, the Globetrotters still found time to beat their green-and-gold clad foils.

The Generals led 45-38 at halftime, and still led 62-61 at the end of the third quarter. "Big Easy" Lofton had left the game just before intermission with his injury, but came back to the court at the beginning of fourth and defiantly threw his crutch aside.

The 'Trotters promptly went on a 16-4 run to clinch yet another win over their timeless rival.

That's the thing that stands out about a Globetrotters show. You know what's coming, but you still enjoy it. You know that bucket isn't full of water, but you wince just the same when its tossed at some shrieking fan.

It wasn't long ago the Globetrotters were thought to be stale, hackneyed and corny. Their shows were often best received overseas.

Graduate students Brian Brantley and Whitney Byrd are the co-chairs; they have helped plan and coordinate the event along with the assistance of numerous other graduate students. "This event not only benefits the Athens community and students to have a chance to see a nationally-known show, but it also helps the graduate students get real-world experience on working for such a major project," Brantley said.

"It's just good, timeless entertainment," said Skip Ricketts, who came to the show with two young grandchildren. "It's basketball first of all, which I love, and then it's entertaining. It's always a good time."

If the young faces in the crowd were any indication, it still is.