Bucks v Detroit: Dr Chow's Love Boat
Well, it was a good game, at least. Michael Redd is back, and even if he's not at 100% of his game (you can tell that if he's not still hurting a bit, he still has to get back to full NBA power), he's this igniting spark that the Bucks so badly need right now, especially while Charlie Villenueva is still out. We arrived a bit late (one more round of sushi at NanaKusa was worth it): missed the anthem, and missed the first couple of minutes when we sat down and realized, "they're getting killed right away!" So it was again a case of expecting a loss, and having a win dangled in front of us.
A lot of people have commented that what the Bucks are missing is defense: well, the goateed Brian Skinner was definitely showing exactly what defense should be. The fact that the final score was in the low 80s points to that. I think somebody's put a pox on the Bucks: there were at least five teeter-totter shots that, if had been anybody else, would have gone in. Can't they get a break? But they also seem to be choking at crucial points. The Bucks came to within 1 point of winning near the end -- with 34 seconds to go there's a Detroit possession, then a free throw for Detroit, which they miss, and then for the last possession, the Bucks have their chance. And they don't do it. One stinking layup, and they couldn't get it. Last year, these guys were the kings of buzzer-beating wins, now, its almost assumed that if the win isn't handy, its not going to be a win.
Oh well, at least the halftime entertainment, fresh from "America's Got Talent" was the David Hasselhoff-approved "Quick Change." You remember this couple. They did one thing, but they did it well: poof, she's changed her outfit. (Piers hated them, but still, you can't tell how they did it!). Fun to watch, and they're even more amazing to see in person, at center court, so there's truly nothing up their sleeve or backstage.
Tonight I'm going to contrast and compare two promotions. One is the cheesy Duchow's Boat Race. I guess Duchow's boats is a boat dealership in the western burbs, out by Lake country. I first saw one of the little pseudo-boats ready to race during a timeout, and thought it said "Dr. Chow's", but that would have been too good to be true. No, the racers race, and each boat gets an accompanying section of seats whose ticket holders will get a piece of the take. And what's the take? What valuable prize does everybody in section 201 get because their boat won? A coupon good for $1,500 off their next boat purchase. Take a look at the fans in section 201. Do they look like they're in the market for a new boat? All of them?Oh, whoop-de-doo, you can just feel their excitement at winning this amazing and valuable prize.
On the other hand, we have the coffee race, a computer generated ripoff of the Miller Park Sausage races. They don't even have guys dressed like coffee cups on the court, its just an animated "race" on the jumbotron. However, at least the prize is sorta good. They pick three people from the crowd, and each person gets assigned a coffee (cutesy name either AnBREW Bogut, Charlie WILLOWnueva, or something like that.) The "coffees" take a lap around the block, whatever block this is. Everybody in the winner's section gets a coupon for a free cup of coffee at Open Pantry, which right there is more valuable than a $1,500 off coupon you probably will never use. But the person who is picked to represent the section, if they're the winner, gets a $100 gift certificate at Open Pantry. Thing is, I can't get past calling it a "gift certificate." How often do you go gift shopping at Open Pantry? For that matter, how often do you drop a c-note at Open Pantry, really? "Hey, uh, give me a coupla packs of Newport Lights, a vial of ginseng there, and a Slurpee. Oh, and, uh, ninty three Powerball tickets."
A lot of people have commented that what the Bucks are missing is defense: well, the goateed Brian Skinner was definitely showing exactly what defense should be. The fact that the final score was in the low 80s points to that. I think somebody's put a pox on the Bucks: there were at least five teeter-totter shots that, if had been anybody else, would have gone in. Can't they get a break? But they also seem to be choking at crucial points. The Bucks came to within 1 point of winning near the end -- with 34 seconds to go there's a Detroit possession, then a free throw for Detroit, which they miss, and then for the last possession, the Bucks have their chance. And they don't do it. One stinking layup, and they couldn't get it. Last year, these guys were the kings of buzzer-beating wins, now, its almost assumed that if the win isn't handy, its not going to be a win.
Oh well, at least the halftime entertainment, fresh from "America's Got Talent" was the David Hasselhoff-approved "Quick Change." You remember this couple. They did one thing, but they did it well: poof, she's changed her outfit. (Piers hated them, but still, you can't tell how they did it!). Fun to watch, and they're even more amazing to see in person, at center court, so there's truly nothing up their sleeve or backstage.
Tonight I'm going to contrast and compare two promotions. One is the cheesy Duchow's Boat Race. I guess Duchow's boats is a boat dealership in the western burbs, out by Lake country. I first saw one of the little pseudo-boats ready to race during a timeout, and thought it said "Dr. Chow's", but that would have been too good to be true. No, the racers race, and each boat gets an accompanying section of seats whose ticket holders will get a piece of the take. And what's the take? What valuable prize does everybody in section 201 get because their boat won? A coupon good for $1,500 off their next boat purchase. Take a look at the fans in section 201. Do they look like they're in the market for a new boat? All of them?Oh, whoop-de-doo, you can just feel their excitement at winning this amazing and valuable prize.
On the other hand, we have the coffee race, a computer generated ripoff of the Miller Park Sausage races. They don't even have guys dressed like coffee cups on the court, its just an animated "race" on the jumbotron. However, at least the prize is sorta good. They pick three people from the crowd, and each person gets assigned a coffee (cutesy name either AnBREW Bogut, Charlie WILLOWnueva, or something like that.) The "coffees" take a lap around the block, whatever block this is. Everybody in the winner's section gets a coupon for a free cup of coffee at Open Pantry, which right there is more valuable than a $1,500 off coupon you probably will never use. But the person who is picked to represent the section, if they're the winner, gets a $100 gift certificate at Open Pantry. Thing is, I can't get past calling it a "gift certificate." How often do you go gift shopping at Open Pantry? For that matter, how often do you drop a c-note at Open Pantry, really? "Hey, uh, give me a coupla packs of Newport Lights, a vial of ginseng there, and a Slurpee. Oh, and, uh, ninty three Powerball tickets."
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