NBA play is great, but college ball is better

By Jim Krencik
SPORTS EDITOR

I’ve spent most of the past two winters covering College at Brockport’s basketball teams, but unfortunately for me, this year’s SUNYAC tournament coincided with a trip to San Francisco for the American Collegiate Press convention.

Yes, I did say I’d rather have been freezing in New York than sunbathing in California. Don’t worry, the first step to recovery is admitting you have a problem.

While I did enjoy my time in the Bay Area, attending a Golden State Warriors/Philadelphia 76ers game made me want to trade in the 60-degree weather and amazing Thai food for a spot on press row back in wintery Upstate New York.

While I was entertained by both the Warriors’ run-and-gun and the 76ers’ miss-and-then-run-backwards offenses, the spectacle of a pro game can’t compare to the experience of a college game.

One of the biggest differences is the lack of flow caused by television timeouts, which force players to stand around as coaches run out of things to say. The only person who maximized their effort during the breaks was the Warriors’ mascot, who looks like a member of The Blue Man Group wearing a gold-painted bicycle seat on his head.

While major college games also are televised, there is no doubt that a Tuttle North Gymnasium crowd would be more energized than the fans at Oracle Arena if they knew that the cameras were rolling. The section I was in got loud a few times early in the first quarter, but the monotony of the game quickly turned section 225 silent.

I’m not going to blame the Warrior’s fans, who were fun to watch a game with, but even the league’s most rabid fans couldn’t keep rising up during the repetition on the court. Even thunderous dunks become soulless when they lack spontaneity.

Still, the spectacle of the game made for occasional excitement, especially whenever Monta Ellis touched the ball. Considering that most teams (except for the 76ers) have at least one player who can match Ellis’ entertainment value, I’d recommend the trip to a game.

Actually, I’d rather have the league come to us.

If the Bills can play in Toronto, why couldn’t the Raptors play a game in Buffalo? Even if the NBA only came to places like Buffalo or Syracuse once in a while, it would be worth it.