Wednesday, February 24, 2010

My Proud Moment With The Harlem Globetrotters

My shining moment had arrived. It was Monday, February 15th. The day that I had been invited to be a guest player on the opposing team for the Harlem Globetrotters, the Washington Generals. This was going to be my moment of glory. This was going to be a day I would never forget. I had practiced, two days prior to the game, to ensure I was warmed up. I was scheduled to play a couple of minutes in the second quarter. I wished that I could play the whole game, but that was okay ... I was going to do the best that I could in the short time that I had. My goal? Make at least one shot. One point was all that I cared about. I was taking on the team that had never lost a game, to play on the team that always looses. Needless to say, I had my work cut out for me.

When the moment came to step onto the court, I was overwhelmed. Basketball is one of my passions. It is one of the things I look most forward to in my week. I love it. The competition, the comaradarie, the smack talking. It is the best! Being such a huge fan of the game, one of my fantasies has always been to do a warm up with a real team, on a real court. That is exactly what I got to do. It was absolutely awesome. I even made a couple of the warm up shots. Let's forget the fact that I stood out like a sore thumb. I looked shockingly pale in my green uniform and I felt unbelievably short. But, it all added to the experience. I was in heaven. My dream had come true. It is a good thing too..... because the imminent whooping was about to begin :)

At the start of the second quarter, the announcer called me into the game. He said my name and announced that I was the host of Curiosity Quest. Was I nervous at that moment you may ask? Well, a little. I had no idea what I had gotten myself into. I had watched the Washington Generals, get embarrassed, be made fun of, even get their shorts pulled down. I was in for it. I went up against Big Easy Lofton. All 6 feet 9 inches of him. How did it go? Well .... right out of the gate I air-balled it. No really I did! With the entire audience watching. Did Big Easy let my mistake go? Oh, nooo!!! He wasn't about to let that one slide without making fun of me. He and his teammate, Flight Time, did a reenactment of my air-ball that had the whole audience laughing at my expense. At the other end of the court, Big Easy, easily boxed me out and made a shot over my head. How could I possibly block a guy who is over a foot taller than me? Next, I got a chance for redemption. My turn to make an outside shot again.... and this time? Miss! Again! Was the pressure getting to me? I am worried that it is.  Following that, I had an opportunity for a lay-up.  If I missed this, I knew, the ridicule might never end.  I lifted off the ground, with a silent prayer.  Yeesss! In the basket!  My hopes for one point has been realized.  With my confidence lifted slightly, I stepped up to the free throw line, after a foul. Slightly nervous, and certainly hoping I don't miss, I throw it up and ..... another point! Yeeessss, again! I made a free throw! But, Big Easy wasn't about to let me off the hook easily. For my second free throw, he pulled my shorts up to my waist and held them there while I attempted the second shot. Unfortunately, it circled the rim, but bounced out. With that, my adventure on a professional basketball court came to an end. I enjoyed the rest of the show, quite happily, from the bench.

So did I mind the fact that my every move was under scrutiny and embarrassment? Not even close! I absolutely loved every second! It's not every day that you get the opportunity to be shown up by a Harlem Globetrotter. It was an extraordinary day that I wouldn't have changed a second of.

I have the greatest job in the world :)

Thank you to all the fans at the show that stopped by to say "hi" and let me know how much they enjoyed Curiosity Quest. It means the world to hear that you all, out there in the PBS viewing world, enjoy what we do. Stay tuned for our next adventure :)

In the Meantime,
Stay Curious!

~Joel

Monday, February 1, 2010

Win Tickets to the Harlem Globetrotters!

You heard right! You can win tickets to see the World Famous Harlem Globetrotters! The Harlem Globetrotters have been performing for 84 years to over 120 million people and this is your opportunity to enjoy their eye-popping performance.


And.....Guess what? The Harlem Globetrotters have invited me, JOEL GREENE, to play on the Washington General opposition team for the Harlem Globetrotters during the 1:00 PM game at the Ontario's Citizen's Business Bank Arena on Monday, Feb. 15, 2010. OH MY GOSH!!!!! How cool is that? I can't wait! Anyone who knows me, knows that I love basketball. It is, by far, my favorite sport to both watch and play. You can find me at the gym several times a week playing basketball. I have always had a dream of being able to play on a professional court. Don't get me wrong, I have no delusions about my purpose there. I understand that I am there simply so they can make my mediocre skills look embarrassing in comparison to theirs, but I don't care :) I say bring on the humiliation! I am just honored to be asked to participate.


The Curiosity Quest crew will be in attendance, as well, filming the event to be included as a new episode for this season. That's right, our very own CQ cameras will be there to capture my defeat.


So here is the deal. The kind people of the Harlem Globetrotters have given us (4) Family Four Packs of tickets to attend the game. Do you want to come and see this amazing, family friendly show?


So, what do you have to do, you ask? Simply become a subscriber to my blog! That is it. Everyone that is a subscriber to this blog before Monday February 8th, will be entered to win a 4 pack of tickets to see the Harlem Globetrotters at the Citizen's Business Bank Arena in Ontario, California on February 15th at 1:00 PM. What does it mean to subscribe? All that means is that you will get an e-mail whenever we post something new to our blog. Easy right? So get to it! Subscribe :) Simply enter your e-mail address where prompted on the left side of this blog page. You will then be sent an e-mail to confirm your subscription. Once you confirm you are entered to win.


Four e-mail addresses will be chosen at random as winners of the tickets. If you are a winner, you will be notified via e-mail on Wednesday, February 10, 2010.


We look forward to seeing you at the game :)


Stay Curious!
~Joel