Friday, June 15, 2007

The Dynasty now ruling roundball

"Dynasty!" Two years ago when the San Antonio Spurs won their previous NBA title (their third), the organization was hesitant to accept talk of a "dynasty" of Spurs. According to today's newspaper report, they're still a tad on the humble side. But last nite, the sportscasters covering the final game of the 2007 NBA Championship series weren't at all shy to use the word. Nor was the Express-News issue this morning. Nor am I! The Spurs are indeed the current NBA "Dynasty"!

Let's be real. San Antonio's NBA team has won three of the last five titles, and four of the last nine. In A.D. 2003 not only did the Spurs win the NBA but Coach Gregg Popovich was selected Coach of the Year. Actually, one sports journalist noted that San Antonio is THE MOST SUCCESSFUL professional sports franchise of the past decade! All San Antonio lacks is back-to-back titles, and THIS may be taken care of in '08!

I went to Good Time Charlie's cafe and bar to watch Thursday's clinching game. GTC is where I've often gone to view the Spurs on TV during NBA playoffs. When I first walked in, the place appeared almost empty, to my surprise. But by the end of the first half GTC was pretty much full. And what a game we saw!

Since I was scheduled for opening shift the next day at Fiesta Texas, I was considering leaving for home and bed if the Spurs were comfortably ahead midway thru the third quarter. And indeed San Antonio had a ten or twelve point lead. BUT. . . hold on to your seats! The home team, the Cavaliers, came back and actually got ahead by three points in the fourth! I feared that the visiting Spurs might go into meltdown and wind up losing.

But not to worry! The men in Silver and Black took control again quickly. Manu Ginobili, our native Argentine Spur, shone in the final minute or so, as he mad all but one free throw after Cleveland did the typical desperation effort of constantly fouling. The final score was 83-82 Spurs. However, the final three points of the game were a meaningless three-point basket by a Cav with time running out.

Then it was time to celebrate San Antonio's latest NBA title! There had actually been a drizzle in my part of the town during the final half, but a few raindrops didn't stop many citizens, if any. As I awaited a VIA bus to go to the typical downtown celebration, it was already commencing on Broadway itself! Cars were driving by with Spurs flags, signs or other Spurs items hanging out windows and drivers constantly honking horns. Passengers were hollering cheerfully for the Spurs, while we on the sidewalks joined in. Some people hoisted brooms aloft, a pictorial reference to the fact that the Spurs "swept" the series with the Cavs in four games.

By this time it was past 11 o'clock, or 23 hundred hours as we say in the military. (I served in the US Army in 1981-1984). I chose to play what I call "Bus Roulette". In this case, should the FIRST bus to show be the outbound 14-17 lineup, I'd go home & to bed. But the first bus to show was the inbound 9 lineup, so downtown I rode.

When the VIA bus got into downtown, even Broadway was jammed with celebrants, spilling out from the usual venues of Commerce (westbound) and Dolorosa/Market (eastbound) and Navarro (northbound) and St. Mary's (southbound). As the cars turned the downtown portion of Broadway into a parking lot, a man was actually going down the middle stripe, sweeping with a "Spurs"-adorned broom!

Yes, downtown San Antonio was a madhouse. But at least it was a positive celebration! None of this turning over cars, vandalism or looting stores, as some other cities do when their teams win national championships. San Antonians just drive downtown and cruise those four streets named above -- plus others, as was the case Thursday night -- honking horns and cheering. This has happened every time the Spurs have won the NBA during my residence here, as well as when local high school football teams win significant titles. I tell you, dear reader, this city KNOWS how to party, and how to celebrate things like sports championships!

And so, NOW begins the celebration of the Spurs' fourth NBA championship. Sunday there will be a parade on the San Antonio River -- the downtown Riverwalk -- and a nighttime celebration in the Alamodome. "Four (victories) for four (titles)!" GO, SPURS, GO!

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