Just what is it about sports that gets you?

What makes us watch games we don’t “really” care about

Jets-Dolphins?

Come on.

Leafs-Avalanche in Game 5 of a million in a long regular season?

Why?

Now, I consider myself something of a sports fan, a guy who likes a game as well as the next lady or fellow but I’m finding it increasingly hard to get too excited about the daily humdrum existence of pro sports.

Perhaps it’s because there is no huge rooting interest; as you know, I’m far more a fan of games and sports than teams and individuals.

But I also I imagine that’s a minority opinion here, isn’t it?

Do you sit anchored in front of the TV some nights simply because it’s “your team?” Do you live and die with wins and losses, feel bad after the latter and better after the former?

I’ve always found that to be quite interesting, even in a bygone era when I was far more “engaged” in the games in other sports than I am now.

Used to watch the Leafs all the time, same with the Jays and to some degree, simply through a factor of geography, the Sabres, Bills and Braves.

Now?

Now it’s white noise unless there’s some compelling reason to sit tuned in and turned on, as they used to say. There’s very little about a regular season that can get me going, even a great rivalry game is hard to really get up for.

I’m sure it has to do with the proliferation of games available now every day. Remember the times when there’d be, maybe, two or three NHL games a week, tops? Or when football was only Sunday afternoon? Or when basketball was barely seen and a trip to a real, live game – the Aud or the Gardens – was the way to satisfy that need and a special event.

Now? Heck, it seems there are three or four games on a night. And they seem to get more inconsequential because there’s nothing special.

Two teams, some sport, some game.

How about you?

I get the feeling more than a few Irregulars are avid sports TV watchers. This game, that game, some other game.

Why?

Is a “team” thing? Or a “player” thing? Or a matchup thing?

Or is it just a matter of habit and a boredom with everything else that’s on the tube?

Let me know, I find it quite interesting to learn what drives big-time fans.

-

Okay, I don’t care what you think of reality TV – I tend to hate it all – but if you can find a show that has live appearances by The Bangles (DWTS!), you have to watch, don’t you?

And who didn’t have a wee crush on Susanna Hoffs? (Although I was perhaps more a Belinda Carlisle guy)

-

I was going to start the weekly plea for mail today but then I saw where guy says the world’s going to end Friday – the day in May when it was supposed to happen was some miscalculation and I figure the dude needs a better calculator or something – so I’m not going to bother.

And now I better get busy, lots to do before Friday. Get to your own bucket list, too, okay?

-

So I’m in Niagara today dealing with real live stuff and that means the morning at Starbucks, the afternoon at some wireless-enabled restaurant and the evening eating peanuts at one of the great locals in the city (hi, Mick and Angelos).

But I’m hoping, at least from noon on, that there are TVs turned on because, as you all know, it’s NFL Trade Deadline Day (we talked a bit about it here yesterday) and surely there will be breathless reportage from a wide variety of experts and insiders.

No?

Ah, ok.

Seriously, is there anything more boring than NFL trade deadline day?

It ranks so far behind the others it’s laughable and I guess it has to do with how difficult it is for a guy to change teams mid-season and have any impact. Those are tough playbooks to learn, I’d imagine.

If you had to rank ‘em, would it look like this, from most compelling to least?

Pucks

I don’t get it, but millions do. This third-line winger for that junior prospect, this anonymous backup for that anonymous backup.

I barely watch but it makes me cackle to tune in and see guys whispering into their cellphones and typing away on whatever I-thingy or Blackberry they’ve got.

Baseball

I know, there are like a thousand trade deadlines, it seems. But there does seem to be some juice in the day leading up to it.

Basketball

Always – or at least the vast majority of the time – it’s much ado about nothing but it keeps a grunt busy; this probably should be No. 2.

Football

See above.

Snore.

Yawn.

MLS

Do they have a trade deadline?

-

Man, they’re up early at NBA PR Headquarters.

Got the big announcement just about 7:30 a.m. that the board of governors has approved the sale of the Philadelphia 76ers to a new group of deep-pocketed private equity folks.

But in the whole “timing is everything” thing, how are they going to stand up a news conference later this morning and sing the praises of their new investment when the league, the union and a federal mediator are meeting to figure out at new CBA amid the league’s contention that the economic situation is dire?

That’ll be fun to watch.

-

 

 

 

Comments

[Peter]

What get's me watching sports? It's a combination of things. As a child who grew up in the 80's and the son of a huge Jay's fan, I enjoyed the story of the Blue Jays going from a new team to a championship team. I can still name just about every player on those first successful teams in the 80's.
When the Raptors started, I began watching them for much the same reason. To be able to say I watched the story of the Raptors from new franchise to a successful franchise. Their story hasn't gone as smoothly as the Jay's but I do enjoy seeing the team grow (or retreat) each season, and enjoy the complexities involved with creating a winner. That being said, I couldn't stay to watch if I didn't absolutely love watching the sport.
Beyond that, I'm always into watching a good story. Baseball playoffs often have that, Hockey can be entertaining for the same reason. Football, same thing. Soccer... ok... I haven't followed that since the first season of the TFC... :)

[Kevin]

Morning Doug,

Most sports have lost their "oomph" because of a few factors that you have already mentioned.
Too many games.
Too many games that don't matter.
Too many games that don't matter on TV.
Post game handshakes being more important than the actual game.
Commercials, commercials, commercials.
TSN panels for everything.
Too much hype.
Too many games with subpar efforts.
Advertising that makes it sound like each and every game is going to be the best experience of your life.

I have been to a few memorable sports events, but you need to have atmosphere. The players and fans truly have to care for it to be "an experience".

[sam]

I generally follow the team more than a specific sport and rarely do I watch an entire game whether it be Baseball, basketball, or hockey. The Raptors, and Jays are 1 and 2 in the pecking order. Never watch hockey, but follow the highs and lows of the leafs daily. The stories behind the game are more interesting than the games at times.
This weekend I read Simmons new book on the Mike Danton/David Frost saga -and currently half way through Moneyball. Not a lot of new information in the Simmons book, but there is a local angle. Moneyball quotes JP Riccardi quite a bit.

[doug]

I have to admit my interest in sports in only the last 2 years or so has waned a great deal....for instance I haven't watched any baseball for a couple weeks, not any interest...as for the NFL I watch the Cowboys (although I know they will finf a way to lose lately it seems) but last night never watched , in fact haven't watched a Monday nightr game this year...i watch comedies and that 2

[doug]

I sent that last comment before i was done..dam keyboard...i don't watch hockey anymore, I just don't have the same passion about sports i once did...some went when teh Expos did, the Leafs have been so bad for so long it drained me of any passion i had for them plus hockey and this fighting mentality reminds me of that MMA stuff...b-ball is the one sport I have a passion about watching all the rest I have no desire....and the Bangles were one of the ultimate girls groups where guys had "crushes" on the singers, ...

[Ryan M in Ottawa]

Hey Doug,

Speaking of feeling bad when teams lose and great when they win...I`m a major Habs fan. Sit infront of my tv jersey clad watching every game en francais big. I`ve heard adoration of les Canadiens borders on religions worship - and I totally get it. In that spirit, and perhaps for a list question in the near future, how bout the top 5 `most dedicated` or cult-like fan bases in sports?

[Peter]

Hey Doug,

When I was at university doing my Masters in English, one of my professors and I had a conversation about sports, and she said the real draw of sports is that it's a narrative where no one knows the outcome. Not the players, not the audience, no one. I think that pulls people into sports more than anything. You never know when "one of those games" is going to happen, or "one of those plays." You could be watching the day this or that piece of sports history happened.

This is maybe only part of it, but I think a big part.

As always, thanks for the blog Doug!

[D-Mac Ottawa]

Morning Doug,
Good'n! I enjoy sports in much the same way a lot of people enjoy murder mysteries: just want to see how it's going to turn out, and who dunnit. And as you've said yourself, there's (almost) always that 'wow' moment or two that makes the entire two to three hours worth it.
I've stayed with sports because I really tired of sitcoms that aren't all that funny, news that isn't really news anymore (it's speculation and hype), 'reality' shows that are anything but, and documentaries and syndicated series that have repeated themselves for a decade or longer now because there's apparently no budget for original programming any more.
I think a lot of us stay with sports, too, because it's something we've done all of our lives, and we can 'relate' to it directly, from first-hand experience, in ways we might not be able to relate to other programming.
I like my sports because I truly enjoy – and appreciate – the effort, the talent, yes the 'athleticism', the (mostly) positive energy, the spirit, and the anticipation of the outcome. Nothing better than a stirring comeback or the unexpected win by an underdog or the record-breaking performance. Doesn't matter what team it is. A great sports moment is a great moment to see as it happens.
Cheers.

[Nick M]

'Do you sit anchored in front of the TV some nights simply because it’s “your team?”'
-
Is that a rhetorical question? Doug, you are preaching to the 'Irregulars' Choir - WE ARE RAPS FANS!
-
'Irregulars' Choirs? Maybe you'll run into your Niagara Starbuck singer today? We'll need a lead!

[Eric de Sousa]

You know what is my main reason to watch sports? You can be a witness of history at any time! A completely boring game could be immortalized forever with just a second of an athlete's brilliance whether it be breaking a world record, scoring an amazing goal, throwing a perfect pass or having an amazing dunk...
Of course there are dull moments but it's when the amazing happens that you remember why you love the game and that is the key, you have to stay watching because you might just see something completely amazing that you would never expected...

[Dave]

y overall interest in Sports has waned as life has taken over. I did watch the Jays in their winning years and only have passing interest in them now. I only check occasionally to see how they are doing in the standings. I have watched portions of the MLB playoffs this year, but usually as background noise as I read about basketball.

I have watched almost every Raptors game for a couple of years. I like the speed of the play and there is always something happening whereas baseball, soccer and hockey have long periods of nothing with hockey being mostly played between blue lines.

Also, hockey and its pro fighting stance doesn't interest me. Neither do I watch UFC or WWF as I don't consider these things sports.

As for team versus players, I think both interest me. I watched the Euro-league game yesterday just to see Sonny Weems play. At the same time I like to see the Yankees lose as much as I enjoy the Lakers and the Heat losing. I usually cheer for the underdog.

I am also wondering why NBA TV didn't carry the Euro-league game yesterday. I wonder if it had something to do with the lo

[Steph]

My interest in watching pro sports has dropped significantly. Many reason exist for this, including all of your reasons and Doug's. But It's better for me physically to play it rather then watch it. Sometimes being selfish is better and in this case I'm all about me.
As you said so many games, so many sports so many teams that the casual fan can't keep up. It used to be that seeing a soccer game was exiting because seldom came the opportunity, now with MLS a few games a week are on TV.
..
Another reason Itune out is the predictability factor. A casual sports fan of any league can with reasonable accuracy predict the outcome of games for the follwing week. For that reason we don't watch. A couple of hours could be lost in what can be regained the next morning watching highlights of an unanticipated lose / victory.
..
Also, most pro sports are geared toward the post season, where seasonal games are meaningless. With so many games to play, the post season outcome for most teams is determined before the mid season break.
..
These are not necesarily league issues, they are a sign of the times. In order to be relevant the product has to be on display, and with todays breakneck speed at which we try and live life you have only a moment to capture someones attention.
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Someone such as yourself Mr. Smith makes people better fans. Teaching the intricasies of the game, without cutting down the fan. Providing an introspective view without jugement. I don't want ranting and raving, I wants insight, and respect your view of not invading a players personal life. I want distraction when things are getting boring.
..
If I was to ask one thing of you, keeping in mind the advent of todays ease with which I can tape a game would be to mention a specific play that I might have watched at a particular point in the game that I could learn from. As you said many times, watching the play away from the ball is more important then watching the play that makes the score.
..
This fans perspective as you asked for.

[Lorie]

Hello Doug:
Such a complex topic; I'll bet some of us have had some deep thoughts about this one. What "gets" us about sports? I could write a book but three random thoughts came to mind and maybe they'll weave themselves into a coherent theme. Sports has always been an outlet for me: physical when I played; social now to enjoy with friends - it never was only an emotional thing. Vignette #1: Stunned at about 8 years old the day my grandfather died - who LOVED LOVED LOVED the Leafs - when the Leafs didn't cancel their hockey game that night. They didn't even mention his name on TV. I knew how much the team meant to him and they were ignoring the fact that their biggest fan had just died. It was so unfair and so wrong. Vignette #2: My kids and I are watching the 1992 Barcelona Olympics. They were all under 12. The network had just run one of those (uber dramatic and designed to tug at your heartstrings) profile pieces on an Olympic athlete. I said something like: "Well, that's an interesting story", and one of my daughters said to me: "But, Mom, we ALL have an interesting story". Vignette #3 I know a fellow who can recite statistics, scores, standings from not one but several teams in a few different sports. Stumped him recently when I asked when his wife's birthday is. So, I guess, to gather all this into a cohesive thought, it's really why I hang out here. I think we get it. (I know Doug does!!!) I think most of us have (and admittedly some have more than others) perspective on the place sports and teams and the enjoyment of following them have in our lives; I'll bet while we appreciate achievement in the teams and athletes we follow, each one of us has an interesting story that we're pretty proud of, and I'm ABSOLUTELY CERTAIN that we all know without stumbling or hesitation the date of birth of the significant people in our lives! :) Cheers!

[Andrew Gregg]

Hi Doug:

Seeing as you love the lists, how about this one: the five most unlikely looking NBA players. I'd start with Bryant "Big Country Reeves" and add Bucks legend Paul Mokeski (current coach of the Reno Bighorns). Maybe Oliver Miller? Dunno. Be interesting to hear your list...

AG, Toronto

[marc in panama]

Hola Doug,

Sports are on the set, because I can't stand what passes for entertainment on TV these days. Reality TV?? I'd rather poke sharp sticks into my eyes. As for the pecking order of which sports get played; it's a toss up between my favourite teams in any given sport and who Ive got a little action on. A Win/Win of me is watching a favourite team who I've juiced.

[Tom]

Well Doug, I think that if it weren't for sports I probably wouldn't watch much TV at all anymore. In the last few years life has really gotten in the way of TV watching, a two year son will do that to you. I think that D-mac sum up a lot of how I feel about TV at the moment. Sitcoms aren't funny, documentaries are too slanted to the producers ideals (more opinions that documentaries), reality TV is too scripted and way overdone (Python hunter, American hoggers, Storage wars, Ice Road Truckers, Blah, Blah, Blah) and news isn't news anymore because it's way to opinionated. In fact Doug, I would love to hear your take on the level of journalism that exists currently in reporting the news (ie. Sun TV, FOX news, even CNN, etc.), and how the news cycle has evolved over the last few decades. Heck, even the disparity between news papers in Canada.

I really believe that sports is one of the very few things left that's unscripted, even though money plays such a significant role in the development of teams. Maybe it's the x-athlete in me but I still love the thrill of high level competition and the ups and downs of victory and defeat. I used to compete at a National level and maybe it's still a way of holding on to a little bit of that feeling and excitement.

[Paul]

Bad mood today, Doug? Hating on sports, hating on reality TV, and NFL trade deadline?

[Robert]

The number one thing it takes to get me in front of TV watching a game is downtime. I don't have time watch every meaningless games... or even every meaningful one. However, I agree that the market is diluted with too much sports. Remember when Pink Floyd only had "13 channels of s**t the TV to choose from"? Now, we have 1000s, + PVR. You can watch what you want when you want it. That really kills the desire/need/interst in watching a game as it happens (or at all). I've maintained my interest in sports by focussing on a single one that I love. Sadly, that's basketball... when is it coming back Doug, WHEN!!?!?!?!?!??!?!?

[Joe U]

A confessional on devotion to sports ( and why it might end ) - That's a pretty good question.

Leafs
=====

From about 1982 to around 2002 I followed the Leafs pretty closely. It started as a family event ( one of the few things on tv everyone could agree to watch ) bolstered by the CBC's reverent production. They were for a long time "a better story than a franchise" - we're talking the zenith, decline and denouement of the Ballard empire here.

The hockey was pretty entertaining - terrific athletic plays on display every (game) night, players with personalities, and a visceral connection to the on-ice happenings. Also there was a lot of time invested in related events to know the team better - mock lineups, draft lists, minor league call-ups, newspaper columns , pre-season forecasts, post season WTF happened analysis.

I stopped following closely when I saw that although the Leafs had some success in the playoffs, the organization had no ability to actually build a better team around Sundin. It took me a long time to realize that the games had become way too structured, combative, and boring.

Jays
====

I got sucked into MLB when working summers, with the radio tuned to Jays Radio broadcasts. I didn't appreciate this at the time, but Tom and Jerry were simply brilliant broadcasters, and baseball is pretty good on Radio. The Jays were making noise ( Bobby Cox was the new manager ), getting better every year, and building to the world series wins.

The Jays were also a great story - effective, risk-taking management; reclaimed and second-chance players; platooning; huge crowds; a free-agent destination of choice ( Winfield, Morris, Clemens, Molitor, Stewart ) and an evident team desire to compete every day.

I stopped cold as soon as new owners interbrew showed they had no interest in winning. I cannot stand "milking the brand". The new GM seems to be on the right track, and I tuned in maybe 6 times this year, including a few Hobbs-ian moments , and pennant race deciding and playoff games.

Raps
====

I followed the Raps because they were a story. A lot of story.

I started watching because I was balling recreationally. I follow the Raps much like I did the Leafs - there is a personal extension to the local side's performance and development - just with less intensity since I don't really have the time to be a devoted fan anymore.

I will watch the occasional marquee matchup in the regular season, and do watch the playoffs. There is visible nuance to the game; there's a lot going on, off-ball. And the talent speaks for itself.

CFL
===

What I enjoy about football is the way that it is a true team sport; every play call is a set-piece, requiring most or all of the 12 players to execute in sync, yet success turns on individual contests won and lost within the play. The playoffs are unique - have a bad day, you lose, and you go home. It's a different experience than the pitched campaign of 7-game series'.

The CFL is a good game, good talent, local rooting interest, mostly honest league. The only league that I watch games, regardless of the teams involved.

[Dario]

I think as we get older our interest will undoubtedly wain. Not so much in the been there, seen that mantra, but mostly in the sense of value. Most people here have already mentioned how poor TV is, and therefore, if they choose to spend time in front of one, sports seems to still present the greatest value for the time spent. Myself personally, I have/had split season's tickets to Raps for the last 10 years and TFC for the last 5. They are my teams and though I won't consider myself a diehard (ie I don't watch all the games on tv I don't go to ) i still enjoy following them. The reason? Family and friends. I enjoy talking to my friends about what has happened in last night's game, what is going to happen next week, what a "bleep bleep" comment that Irregular made. :o) But, it is also about family. I remember as a kid how excited I was when my dad let me not only watch the first period of hockey (which was past my bedtime) but also watch Peter Puck! And now, with my 2 sons, who seem to have a little difficulty getting to sleep on nights when the Raps play, I let them stay up and watch with me. Watching the game through their pure eyes not yet mired by salaries and egos and banned substances, restores my passion all over again. What can I say, I am addicted to it. Which sadly makes me wonder what will happen to my love of sports when my boys get older.

[Chris]

Doug,
Interesting question... For me, it varies by sport.
NFL and NHL I don't watch unless I'm at my in-laws and it's whats on TV. There's just nothing there that interests me.
On the other hand, I find the NBA game much more exciting than the NHL/NFL so I usually try to watch as many Raptors games as life will allow because "they're the home team". I usually will also watch playoff games even though the Raps aren't in them because the play is top-notch.
I've recently started watching the Tennis Opens. I don't follow any particular player, but watch instead for the story (like Joker's run last year) or just to see the caliber of play -- I love long rallies where players keep finding a way to get to the ball when it looks like the point should be over, or truly amazing "how'd they do that!?" shots.
I also watch high-level Rugby (when it's on). Not sure why, but it's so much more interesting than Football. Like tennis, I don't really follow any particular team (although I have a soft spot for the All Blacks). Instead, I watch it for the plays and to admire the stamina and grit of the players.
I can't really get into soccer -- just seems too one-dimensional or something. The exception is the World Cup where there's often a "story" or a team I can find a reason to cheer for.
Anything not on the list (e.g. golf, curling, poker), I just can't get excited about or don't even consider a sport -- see if you can guess what falls into which category! ;)
One disclaimer: the above doesn't apply to anything in the Olympics which are an event and story unto themselves and therefore warrant watching as time permits.

[Mike kovacs]

Doug, perhaps games that don't mean anything are not as interesting to you since watching games is your 'vocation'. This may be along the same lines that cops don't watch cop shows or as a health care professional I usually don't watch such TV shows as they are either too boring or too full of factual errors that it is a distraction.

[james]

A serious question deserves a serious answer. The essential non-serious aspect of sport is part of the attraction, what one late sports writer used to call "my toy universe". It really only matters as much as you want it to. In that sense, you are in complete control of your level of engagement and that is not true of many aspects of life. It is a guy thing in the main (although like @Lorie, it was a way to spend time with my grandfather long ago). It seems to me that women are much more likely to "do" sport rather than watch it, certainly around here where the spouse of the house has taken up recreational rowing but wouldn't be caught dead watching a televised game. I agree that one's interest wanes over time. Never was I more intensely into it than following my high school teams almost 50 years ago, when most professional games were on the radio. Still, sometimes when you least expect it, you witness magic: Uruguay defeats Argentina in Buenos Aires for the first time in 86 years in the Copa America soccer competition, something stumbled across that was totally unfamiliar and thus exotic, but also completely familiar and easy to comprehend. Finally, it always helps me to have Canadian content, to be able to follow my own tribe as it were.
Now, I would like to stand your question on its head: Do you find that earning your living by covering event after event has jaded you? Are you still able to watch something just for the fun of it? And thanks as ever for the blog.

Blogger's note: Let me get into that more in the morning, okay?

[D-Mac Ottawa]

I’d say my earliest memory of sports broadcasts would be crawling up on the couch and into the crook of my Dad’s arm on ‘special’ Friday nights when I was allowed to stay up late… for the Gillette Friday Night Fights (right after “Tugboat Annie”, if memory serves correctly)… Archie Moore, Sugar Ray, Jersey Joe, Floyd “The Rabbit” Patterson, the close of the Rocky Marciano era. A golden age.
Then, it was all about following those amazing Yankees… Mickey, Yogi, Whitey, Bobby Richardson, Elston Howard, Tony Kubek, Clete Boyer, this young kid Roger Maris… what a team!!
The 1960 World Series, and just to liven things up, my Mother bet my little brother Jim a nickel the Pirates would win. Jim took her up on such sacrilege with no hesitation. When Mazeroski sent that 9th inning 1-0 pitch into the left field bleachers, the kid threw a fit like you’ve never seen in your life. Four years old, and I swear on a stack of Gideons, he did not speak to his mother for five days.
Again, if memory serves correctly, a radio was set up in class and we spent the afternoon listening as Maris clobbered #61… October 1, 1961, talk about a day in history! Back then, playoffs and World Series were day games, and we sometimes got to hear those instead of geography lessons (and the days we weren’t allowed, there were 20 transistor radios in 20 desks and 20 sets of earphones plugged in and geography went to hell for the day). East Coast kids will never have a minute for baseball 10 years from now… because they’ll have never seen a playoff game!
That same year, I remember my Dad saying, “There’s a boxer coming up you want to watch for. His name’s Cassius Clay, and he’s gonna be something…”. A freezing, bitter night, February 25, 1964, and I remember listening to the radio in the kitchen, knowing Sonny Liston was going down up there in Lewiston, Maine, cuz my Dad had told me three years earlier who was gonna be something. And man, was he something!!
October 15, 1988, I was driving out in the middle of nowhere somewhere in Wyoming. Is there anything better than baseball on radio? Vin Scully: “All year long, they looked to him to light the fire, and all year long, he answered the demands, until he was physically unable to start tonight—with two bad legs: The bad left hamstring, and the swollen right knee. And, with two out, you talk about a roll of the dice... this is it.” Joe Garagiola: “Gibson’s shaking his left leg, making it quiver, like a horse trying to get rid of a troublesome fly.” Vin Scully: “Sax waiting on deck but the game right now is at the plate. High fly ball into right field, she i-i-i-is... gone!! In a year that has been so improbable... the impossible has happened!... And, now, the only question was, could he make it around the base paths unassisted?! You know, I said it once before, a few days ago, that Kirk Gibson was not the Most Valuable Player; that the Most Valuable Player for the Dodgers was Tinkerbell. But, tonight, I think Tinkerbell backed off for Kirk Gibson. And, look at Eckersley—shocked to his toes! They are going wild at Dodger Stadium—no one wants to leave!”
That’s why I follow sports. It’s in the blood. It’s the same as breathing. Cheers.

[D-Mac Ottawa]

When my mother turned 80 is 2002, we all converged in Chicago. Among the other 'big doin's', the highlight was a trip to The Chicago Center. I'm telling you, Ma loved the Bulls. Michael, Scotty, but whoa, especially BJ Armstrong. My goodness. (And when Phil went to LA, he may as well have been named Benedict Arnold, that's the kind of Bulls fan she was.) You know, it was just a crappy pre-season game between the Raptors and the Bulls, but it might as well have been Game 7 in June as far as Ma was concerned. She even had a Happy Birthday howdy on the jumbotron. Dinner after was, where else, at Michael Jordan's restaurant. Thank god MJ was out of town, or I would have worried for his physical safety, the family's good name and Ma's ticker... Cheers.