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DEC 20 | vs Houston Rockets – Greg K

Warriors 112 – Rockets 121

Greg’s always been good about staying in touch. I first met him back when we were working at The Bay Area’s NBC as interns a long time ago and from the very beginning he was a facilitator. He was the guy that connected people, people to ideas and people to the bigger picture.

I barely knew the guy and he was already trying to figure out how to get me out of a hole of an ‘intern’ office and out working for Lance, the guy that would eventually help guide a lot of my career.

And because of that, indirectly, Greg was a guy that helped shaped my career.

It’s rare to find a person that gives you that much trust, respect and loyalty before even getting to know you. Yet greg’s that type of guy.

He’s old school in that sense. And in the same vein, if you do mishandle that privilege he gives you, then you pretty much lost it for good.

We worked together for a year at NBC before he went on to land a killer job at a travel site that has him jet setting all over the world. It’s been years since then, yet we’ve some how managed to keep in touch.

I’m terrible at it, so like I mentioned it’s all thanks to Greg.

Which explains how we ended up at tonights game.

I had to figure out a fill in, because my original guest for tonight’s game had to drop due to holiday travel plans. When I finally got a moment to figure out who to find as a replacement, Greg sends me a text to say hi, reminding me that it’s been too long and we need to catch up soon.

There you go folks. Sometimes life presents you with answers and like that it was fated that Greg and I were to catch up over the Warriors.

The Commute

Greg works in SoMa so meeting at the Montgomery BART is actually easier for him than it is for me.

The tricky thing about meeting someone at BART is that with 4 entrances for each stop it’s easy not to meet someone at the right place.

That’s what happened to me and Greg. We were waiting for each other at opposite ends of the terminal.

So after we sorted that out thanks to resourceful usage of our cell phones, we finally reunited.

I had forgotten how long it’s been since I’ve last seen Greg until seeing him again tonight. If my count is right, it’s been a little over a year and half.

There’s something to be said about reconnecting with someone you had a solid friendship with. It’s easy. There’s no small talk needed and no uncomfortable silences because you hopefully have been through enough to remember what matters to them and what makes them tick.

And in the best cases like tonight you can pick up right were you left off.

BART is a time machine of sorts allowing me and Greg to reminisce on our days as interns and get caught up on the fundamentals of what has been going on in each others life.

In the short 15 minute ride under the bay we are somehow able to catch up throughly on our careers, relationships and families. And somehow we continue to circle back to memories of our internship.

Why? Because that defined our friendship.

The crap we had to deal with as unpaid interns at a local news station was pretty low. In fact, I have a permanent bruise on my finger from it to remind me.

However, it definitely could have been worse, but we’ve definitely paid our dues and learned a lot.

One big thing I learned from Greg that summer was the ‘Journeyman’ mentality to never stop hustling.

He was always coming up with ideas. He always had a plan or a better way of doing something, or doing something in a way for it to mean something… anything. Everything had purpose an that was awesome.

Everything was an opportunity and a blessing and he always had fun with it and tried to make the most of it, no matter the assignment/outcome.

I was an intern trying to forge my way and this was exactly the attitude I needed to feel off of at the time. I needed to not be afraid to try things and I needed to know that everything was an opportunity.

He was also always looking to get people connected.

And if Greg had never connected me as an intern to my post intern boss, Lance. I wouldn’t have continued my time at NBC and may have ended up regretting my time there.

Greg is a leader and he steered me down the road he knew I had to go back then. I owe him for that.

The Game

We both got to the arena pretty hungry and we ended up at Ribs and Things. I’m beginning to think I should start tracking how much BBQ I’ve been consuming over the course of the season. It can’t be good for me.

As we were chowing on some R&T at the Club 200 Lounge it’s always without fail that people either stare with envy at your meal or straight up ask you where they can get some of it.

Tonight a group of 4 men did and as soon as I said right by the escalator they were off running and back in 5 minutes posted up right next to us licking BBQ sauce off their fingers.

Greg was born in the South, but for the most part grew up here in the Bay, so he knows the unfortunate history of the Warriors. He hasn’t been to a game in a long while so there was a touch of knowledge I had to drop on him, but at least he knew who a couple of the key players were (Steph and Monta); every Bay Area local should I think.

The Warriors played well, just not great. The offensive game wasn’t the issue either, it was our defense and rebounding that really struggled.

We couldn’t contain Scola and they were dropping dimes in the backdoor all game long.

Thankfully we had a halftime show of two middle school teams competing against each other to ease the tension of the close game.

Boys vs Girls, from the same school. The girls dominated…

The game was close the entire time and it’s fair to say that the both fan bases were pretty nervous. We were frustrated and anxious because it always hurts more when you lose at home. As for the Rockets fans, it’s tough when the team loses and you’re on enemy territory. I know from first hand experience in Portland. The looks and comments you get after a game are not fun to deal with.

But they didn’t have to worry about that tonight. The Rockets pulled out the W and we were the ones that had to deal with the loss at home.

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Dec 20, 2010 | Categories:And 1 | Tags: , , , , , , , | 2 Comments »

DEC 18 | @ Portland Trailblazers – Chris C, Jennifer R & Ben M

Warriors 95 – Trailblazers 96

Thursday, December 16, 2010

This marks my first game to go watch the Warriors on the road. I usually would have never made the commitment to go watch them in another city that I couldn’t drive less than 2 hours to, but following the Warriors have given me great excuses to spend time with friends.

This time instead of heading to Oracle in Oakland, the plan would be to hop on a plane to to meet Chris and Jenny in Portland.

Chris and Jenny were a part of the Golden Season roster from the start, however, their recent move to Portland meant that I wouldn’t be able to share my love of the ‘dubs and basketball with them unless they came back down to the Bay or I went there.

I took some initiative.

Not only was I excited for the Trailblazer game in enemy territory but probably more so to see how life in PDX was treating them.

Although Golden Season is based off my season tickets to Warriors home games, I thought going to Portland would also be a nice extension to my season ticket holder/fan experience.

So with a plane ticket booked I showed up at the Oakland airport waist up in Warriors gear ready to see our boys in the Northwest and to visit with some great friends.

The Commute

This wasn’t the average game, which means this wasn’t my average commute.

I decided to fly in a couple days before the game to hang out with Chris and Jenny and to help them move into their new apartment on Friday.

My flight was at noon out of OAK and it was a beautiful day in the Bay. It was sunny but crisp and the usual craze of getting out of San Francisco and across the bay bridge was not an issue. I figured it was either because people were already on vacation/out of town, schools and universities were most definitely on break and/or that people are a little less nuts when the weather’s nice.

Probably all of the above.

I was leaving immaculate weather here to go to Portland, a city that’s notorious for rain and grey skies to watch a game of basketball; maybe I’m the one that’s a little nuts.

OakAirport1 OakAirport2 OakAirport3

Getting to the Oakland Airport was easy. I pulled right into the parking lot that’s a stones throw away from the terminal. It was already way easier than traveling from SFO.

After grabbing my boarding pass, I headed to the security and there were NO LINES.

Sure, it’s a Thursday, it’s Horizon, etc.. but the reality is, it’s never been THIS easy and any airport, ANYWHERE.

I dig OAK’s style.

OakAirport4

After a short flight I’m finally wheels down in Portland and the weather is just as nice. It’s way colder but I’ll take it as long as it doesn’t constantly dump raindrops all weekend.

As I was making my way through the terminal I spotted a good amount of folks wearing Blazers gear for a Thursday afternoon. I was rocking my blue ‘City’ cap and the fleece that they handed out to season ticket holders during Nibbles, Dribbles & Sips, which has become my go to sweater. No one really noticed but one teenage boy in a Brandon Roy jersey yelled at me ‘F*#! the Warriors!’. He must be a diehard hoops fan because he know’s what ‘The City’ stands for.

I quietly leaned in, not needing escalate the situation with a teenager, and said, “I’m really sorry about Roy and Oden, it still should be fun Saturday night.”

He really didn’t have anything to say, but I hope he knows I genuinely meant it.

Seeing any player that has to sit or doesn’t have the opportunity to fulfill his career due to injury is pretty damn heartbreaking. Yes they still make millions and whatnot, but the reality is, they gave their whole life (mind, body and soul) to this game and for them not to be able to play is probably a pretty gut wrenching feeling.

PreGame

CC

And it begins… HELLO PORTLAND!

My man Chris C picks me up and he sees me rockin’ the Warriors Royal Blue cap and can’t help but start cracking jokes about how the Trailblazers will dominate Saturday night.

Chris has to head back into to the office so I hang out in his neighborhood, the Pearl District, until he’s ready to wrap up.

Where else do you hang out on a cold day in the PDX? A coffee shop of course. I end up at Barista where I overheard Trailblazer talk about the game against the Nuggets and the barista even asked me if I came up just for tonight’s game because apparently no one in Portland is a Warriors fan.

The same side conversation about the Nuggets/Blazers turns into the Warriors coming into town and how it should be an ‘easy win’.

I wanted to join the conversation and defend the Warriors but I kind of just like eavesdropping on this one.

(more…)

Dec 18, 2010 | Categories:And 1 | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , | Leave A Comment »

DEC 14 | vs Minnesota Timberwolves – Chris V

Warriors 108 – Timberwolves 99
There’s not one guy I know that could care less about sports than my man Chris V, and somehow he found himself at more professional sporting events this this year than any other of his life.

Three. The first being a game at the World Series of which he won tickets through a raffle, the second as Mary M’s guest to a Warriors game and the third as my guest tonight to the Warriors game against the Minnesota Timberwolves.

To say he could ‘care less’ about sports is not to say that he doesn’t appreciate it. It just doesn’t doesn’t really interest him. But given the opportunity, Chris is known for being up to try anything especially if it’s with friends.

And although Chris and I work together and I’m technically his ‘manager’, that’s exactly what tonight’s outing with the Warriors is… a opportunity for friends to hang out.

Chris and I have worked as an army of two now for the past couple years, and it only works because you are also great friends.

Although we don’t hang out outside the office much, or really at all, that doesn’t limit us from being close. Because we work so closely, we both have also seen each other through a lot of different things and end up swapping stories of our personal lives during the down times in the office or during travel. And since I do work with such a great friend, it’s hard to realize sometimes that we’re actually working and not just hanging out scheming up ways to hustle through life together.


So with the opportunity to go to a Warriors game, even though it may not be Chris’ first choice in activity, he’s down because we’re friends and it gives us a chance to hang out and not have to be dealing with the weight of the office.

Since Chris sits right next to me this has been the easiest meet up thus far to head out to the game.

5:30 came around and we headed out the door, down California St. and toward the CVS on Market St.
The weather wasn’t the greatest so I wanted to swing by the drug store to see if I could buy an umbrella before getting onto BART.
Because based off personal experience with Julia D and Nick R, walking from BART to the Coliseum in the rain is NOT fun.

CVS or whatever drugstore that is on Market, for some reason didn’t have umbrellas and the resourceful creative facilities of Chris kicks in and suggests I get a rain poncho. He’s crazy to think I’m going to wear a rain poncho… I decide that I’d rather brave the elements than wear a vinyl dress.

The Commute
We make our way down to BART and you know the holiday’s right around the corner when you’re literally walking around a corner and find yourself in advertising hell.

I work in advertising so I don’t mind it at all, but when I feel like I’m stuck in Willy Wonka’s version of it I start feeling bad about even being in the industry.

Chris and I blow right through it and we hop on BART to the coliseum.

Although he’s not a big sports guy, I could see his excitement through his exhaustion. We’re reaching the end of the year and the final push before the holiday break is always hardest at GSP. There’s so much to wrap up but it’s also a time where the both of us are usually recovering from a jam packed summer and fall that’s full of new business pitches, reviews and clients pushing through last minute requests that have all of us scrambling.

We got pass that phase, otherwise I think our conversation on BART would have been a lot more weighted in work, but since we’re on the decent of our workload for the year we could catch up and bullshit over everything else.

We talked about plans for the holidays and looking beyond them at our futures. Our careers have become somewhat connected so it’s always been important that Chris and I always keep an open channel of communication for any plans that we may have looking forward.

We both really value and enjoy our jobs right now, but for as long as I’ve known Chris, I’ve always believed that he had a bold move in his near future. He’s a bold type of guy and our time on BART allowed us to dive into that a bit.

We talked about what it’s like to be in our mid-twenties and I voiced how even though I’m only two years older than him, that two years in your twenties can net huge developments in ones perspective.

This isn’t to say that I have a greater perspective, but what our conversation is about is that if there is a time to take a risk, it’s in your mid twenties.

Chris is close to change, and I know he has more coming for him. I’ve always told him and I told him again on BART, he’s destined for something else and his time with me at GSP will always be a staging ground and hopefully a classroom/safe space for him to explore and figure out what his next great adventure will be.

After some scheming and dreaming between the both of us we finally made it to oracle.

The Game
As we were crossing the land bridge, I really feel like Oracle/City of Oakland needs to dress up the walk to and from BART a little more. I feel relatively safe but I would never encourage any of my female friends to ride and walk to the Coliseum alone. Because even when I’m with some of my female guests, I do hear the comments scalpers make to them and me. It’s a little unsettling, but I got a good humor about it and ladies by nature clearly let those things roll right off their back.

I’ve seen a Warrior girl BART home once and lets just say it’s probably not a great idea to wear your Warrior Girl jumpsuit riding home on BART… alone.
Tonight my guest, Chris, didn’t receive any cat calls from the scalpers, but I’m sure he’d appreciate them if they did.

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Dec 14, 2010 | Categories:And 1 | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave A Comment »

DEC 10 | vs Miami Heat – Mike B & Ken L

Warriors 84 – Heat 106

MIKE:
Ken and I are going to the Golden State Warriors vs Miami Heat Game.  Thanks a lot Nam!  Nam could not make it with us because he had to attend his company party.  Thank you Nam for these awesome tickets!
KEN:
I am actually quite excited for the game as it slowly inches closer to game time.  I decide to look for my “We Believe” playoff shirt.  It has to be collectors item since its the only time the Warriors’ made the playoffs in the past 15 years.  This one is truly special as it holds the “Bdizzle smackdown on AK” moment.  Will tonight’s game offer us any highlights?
MIKE:
This is Shelli, Kens wife.  She doesn’t get to go with us!
It’s OK, because she recently kicked it with Weezer.  Ken and Shelli also have the cutest baby in the world by the name of Lily.  Lily was at Grandma’s house at the time.  Shelli takes us to the Bart station and on our way there we listen to some good ol’ Weezer.
What an awesome start of the weekend.
I haven’t seen Ken, Shelli, Lily or Nam in the longest time.  We’ve all been very busy and I missed them dearly.
I’ve been excited all week to kick it with Ken and see the Warriors vs the Heat.  I’ve always wanted to see Dwayne Wade and Lebron James.  I especially wanted to see Ken Lin’s twin, Jeremy Lin, in action.
Ken and I hopped on the BART and headed straight from Fremont to the Oakland Colisium.

Dec 10, 2010 | Categories:And 1 | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave A Comment »

Dec 2 | vs Phoenix Suns – Monika S

Warriors 101 – Suns 107

Monika and I go waaaaaay back… over a decade.

I used to sit in front of her of our freshman science class and we hit it off. I can’t remember what it was that triggered our friendship, because I’ve sat around enough people in my life during my academic career and very few made the type of impression Monika did on me.

My first real memory with Monika is about shoe cleaner. She was a star soccer player with dirty kicks and I was a basketball player with clean ones. She asked me how I kept my sneakers so clean, I offered to bring in some cleaner… I did, and the rest is history. It was this small gesture that was the spark that gave me a friend for life.

And like her sport of choice in high school, she picked tonight’s game versus the Suns not for basketball but for soccer. Steve Nash is a huge soccer fan and former star and Monika’s life is firmly rooted in soccer and Santa Clara University, where Nash played in college. The connection may not be obvious from the outside, but she’s been crushing on the former MVP for a while now.

Monika was working in Redwood City today so we agreed to meet at Oracle.

Since I didn’t have anyone waiting on me at the office or in the city, the natural flow of work had me dragging behind and headed out of the office a little late.

The Commute

Monika texted me as I was walking down my office stairs saying she was already on the road and halfway between Redwood City and Oracle.

The only reason why I mention this is because in the time it took me to walk to BART, head to the arena and get to the Team Store, it was less time than it took for Monika to drive the rest of the way.

BART is still the best way to get to the game.

It was a rainy night. It wasn’t raining hard, but it was enough to warrant an umbrella.

Because Monika was going to meet me there, tonight’s commute was solo.

It was actually kind of nice making the trek to Oracle by myself. I’m an independent and hyper introspective person by nature so I do appreciate the moments I get to myself. However it did also put certain things in to perspective in the sense that I also really appreciate having company and someone to chat with.

Tonight, I really like that commute being mine. I was lost in thought the whole ride on BART and as I got off and was half way across the land bridge to get to Oracle, I got a phone call from my dad.

(more…)

Dec 02, 2010 | Categories:And 1 | Tags: , , , , , , , , | Leave A Comment »