Go Breakers Go

When one thinks of New Zealand sports, it most generally is rugby, perhaps cricket or even the odd sailing regatta...but do they ever think of basketball? There's a reason for this. There is exactly one professional basketball team in New Zealand, the NZ Breakers, and they are no Toronto Raptors.

It is thus, a surprise, when I find myself sitting in equivalent of a community centre gymnasium, watching the NZ Breakers take on the Cairns Taipans two days before Valentine's. It is the last day of a week long heat wave, and my pregnancy-enhanced olfactory senses are overwhelmed with the smell of sweat, grease, and nasty sausage rolls. Once my stomach contents have been emptied, I return to my seats to take in the full glory of this event.

Upon entering the event, we were handed noise makers and instructions on when and how to participate in the various chants and cheers of the evening. Thus begins two hours of the noisiest sports event of my life, I mean it. There was a six person percussion section to lead us in the always catchy Defense or Go, Breakers, Go. Like a train wreck, my attention is next drawn to the Breaker Girls; I believe they are supposed to be cheerleaders but mostly they gyrate and grind to music in the court corners during every pause in play. Initially, I thought they were wearing hooker boots as part of their ensemble, but I'm happy to report they were merely black Mary Jane's with black socks pulled up to their knees. There are other girls, we'll call them the Sponsorship Girls dressed in low cut lulu-esque pants with teeny, tiny tops that occasionally paraded around the stands tossing out beach balls or chocolate bars. As a side note, never sit in the front row, you will not get any of said Freebies and it will make your husband's staring too obvious. It is loud, brash, and a blow-out.

Mental note: Never let Dave arrange another double date :-)