Hartley Miller's Slap-Shots - March 28th Edition

By Hartley Miller

Group stands  at centre court  (submitted photo)

Have you ever wondered what is it like to travel 1500 miles roundtrip to watch two NBA games featuring the Phoenix Suns?

Well, seven adults, and 43 kids (aged 7 to 17), from Prince George spent part of the spring break watching Steve Nash and the Suns. The journey was organized by basketball fanatic Rhonda McMillan, who has arranged similar, smaller scaled trips in the past. My daughter Lexine, and I, were among the 50 on board. Here is my diary:

Monday, March 17th

7am:   Bus leaves the Pine Centre. I am sitting in the first seat on the right hand side. Being the oldest on a trip can sometimes have its advantages.

7:15am:  Are we there yet?

10:45am:  Arrive in 100 Mile House. Despite having a double seat, my cramped legs enjoy the break.

5pm:  Arrive at the U.S. Border where I'm on my best behavior. After showing our passports, we march on.

7pm:  Arrive in Tulalip, Washington.  49 people on the trip want to shop at the Seattle Premium Outlet stores. I always thought “outlet” was a basketball term. Oh well, might as well join the crowd and go shopping. Can't believe there is actually a great selection of oversize sneakers. My feet appreciate the size 15 (double E) runners I purchase.

9pm:   Finally, time to check into the hotel.

Tuesday, March 18th

8am:  Leave Tulalip.

Noon: Arrive in Portland at the Lloyd Center Mall. I thought we were done shopping. However, there is no tax here. Maybe I will look for Portland Winterhawks memorabilia. This city must be proud of the 22nd place club in the 22 team WHL.

2pm: Arrive at the Rose Garden for “Court of Dreams”. For two hours, the PG basketball players had inter-squad games on the NBA court. The biggest kid of them all was Dana Larsen, a former UNBC All-Canadian, who was in fantasyland shooting threes.

4pm: Hotel check-in.

6pm: Walk to the Rose Garden. I’m still looking for those Winterhawks souvenirs.

7pm: We are lined up in the tunnel to “high five” the Phoenix Suns before they take to the court. Steve Nash comes out first and Shaq is last and the only one walking. They all slap the kid’s hands and even some of the adults. With his mammoth paws, Shaq nearly decapitates, UNBC assistant coach, Dave Holmes, hand.

7:30pm: Game time. Suns whip the Trail Blazers 111-98. Never a dull moment, and always entertainment during the time outs. Replays are featured on a new massive high definition $6 million JumboTron, about five times bigger than the one at CN Centre.

10:15pm:  The kids are astonished that Steve Nash comes to talk to the PG group using a wireless microphone for a question and answer session.

10:30pm:   Return to the hotel.

Wednesday, March 18th

9am:  Leave Portland. Never did see any signs congratulating the Winterhawks.

12:30:  Arrive in Seattle for a bite to eat and hotel check in.

3pm:   Court of Dreams at Key Arena. Kids get an hour on the NBA court for more inter-squad games.

4pm:   Walk back to the hotel. A chance to exercise!

6pm: Arrive at Key Arena. Unlike the previous night, I will take advantage of a media pass.

7pm: Tip off time! No high five’s for visitors this time. Hard to say who is the home team as Steve Nash gets a thunderous ovation every time he scores. Suns win 110-98 in a game similar to Tuesday. Atmosphere not as electric as in Portland, but the Sonics stink and the team is leaving.

9:30pm: Post game interviews in the Suns locker room. Nash is accommodating after having his back iced down. I look way way up and ask Shaq for a comment. He points to the shower first and then encourages all media to come his way.

9:45pm: Nash comes to speak to 1500 Canadians left at the Arena, including the PG group.
10pm. Back to the hotel!

Thursday, March 19th

9am: Leave Seattle!

9:30am: Are we home yet?

11:30am:  Arrive at the border! It’s always great to be back in Canada.

Noon: Lunch in Abbotsford! Can't wait for home cooked meals again.

1pm:  Stop in Chilliwack. At this rate, we may never get home.
3:30pm. Arrive in Cache Creek. It’s almost a law to stop there.

6pm: Arrive in Williams Lake. Can’t we just keep going?

8:50pm: Arrive at Pine Centre. Yippee! We did it in less than 12 hours.

Despite 30+ hours on the bus, the PG group had an unforgettable experience. The Sonics will likely move to Oklahoma next year, but that won’t stop Rhonda from organizing another memorable trip. Phil Horn in Portland and Megan Cifala in Seattle did a masterful job of arranging the “extras” that made the group feel very special.

So, what did the PG kids ask Steve Nash and what did the two time MVP say to them? The answers in next week’s column!

From the quote rack:

“Broncos WR Brandon Marshall has a cast on his arm as a result of a fall when he slipped on a McDonald's food wrapper. Doctors are also watching his feet for Golden Arches.”Contributor Bill Littlejohn of South Lake Tahoe, California

“Last fall USC was upset by Stanford in the biggest upset in college football history, Thursday they were knocked out of the NCAA tournament in the first round by 11 seed Kansas State. The last times the Trojans had a year this bad, a wooden horse was involved.”Contributor Janice Hough of Palo Alto, California (www.leftcoastsportsbabe.com)

“Track star Marion Jones has begun serving her six-month sentence for lying about steroid use. And they have her at a minimum-security prison, which makes no sense to me. I mean, let's say she decides to run. Who's going to catch her?”NBC's Jay Leno

“Turns out Vessa Toskala is the best goalie Toronto has ever had by a long shot.”Contributor Derek Wilken of Calgary (http://smacksport.blogspot.com/), after the Leafs netminder mishandled a 180-footer.

And in case you missed it:

“Kuznetsova triumphsova Sharapova.”Headline courtesy of Fark.com

And how was your week?

Hartley Miller is the sports director for radio stations 94X and the Wolf@97fm. He also writes for the PG Free Press. Send along a quote, note or anecdote to hmiller@94xfm.com

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