Good Show

Back in the days before cable television, when ABC's Wide World of Sports was the only way to see the unusual or outrageous sporting events, February was when the Harlem Globetrotters were on, and for the pre-teen set in the 1970's, that was must-see TV. This was when Meadowlark Lemon and Curly Neal and Marques Haynes were on the roster and every year after watching them on TV, kids would engage in serious debates about exactly how many championships the Globetrotters would win if they played in the NBA (the general consensus, depending on the age of the debater, of course, was that the Globetrotters would probably win it all every year, but it would be understandable if, due to injuries or whatnot, they would occasionally make to the finals and not win).

Now we are saturated with televised sporting events, from football and baseball to table tennis, bull riding, and competitive eating. With so much sporting noise out there, I imagine it's hard for the Globetrotters to make much of a splash. But I look forward to their visit to our area every February, and this year we were actually able to make it to the show. I was a little worried that my nine-year-old son might be a little too old and might see through the shenanigans, but he was way into it, as was his six-year-old brother. After the game, which the Globetrotters won in a tight match, my older son said to me,with great relief in his voice, "Boy, I didn't think the Globetrotters were going to pull that one out."

They mixed in some new routines and delivered on all of the old standards. And now I can't wait until next year.