Native Sun

I'm relatively certain that my first memory was Game 5 of the 1976 Boston series.

I still have the ticket from the first Suns game I went to. I was a little over 3 years old and I got to go because I stood on a stool and peed into the potty.

Deuce is now urinating exclusively in the toilet, but we're having problems getting him to drop his namesake in there just yet. I've seen "Elmo's Potty Time" at least 8 times now. As the song it tells him to do, he just keeps trying. I'm thinking that maybe if I entice him with a Suns ticket, he'll go in there. He likes basketball, too. He's pretty good at the little hoop in his room.

But this entry is supposed to be about my Suns tickets.

My brother and I were at Game 5 of the Clipper series last year. You know, the one where Raja Bell hit the three in the corner. The Suns also had a great Game 5 in Chicago in 1993 (triple-overtime there, too). After the game, Charles told the citizens of Chicago to sleep well and take the boards off the windows because he personally saved them from the inevitable rioting that a Bulls championship would produce. Some great triple-overtime Game 5s, but no rings yet.

After that game, we decided we needed to get season tickets. We knew we needed to be in line for playoff tickets, too. Getting Amare back was probably the best off-season move of any team. More on him later.

We split a half-season package. My understanding is that we are entitled to buy tickets for half of the home season playoffs in our same spot and that we are able to get first crack at any other tickets for the other games. There's a good chance we'll have tickets for all of the playoffs at home. There's no way in hell I'm scalping anything but first round tickets.

Our tickets are the second-cheapest in the building (we went to a preseason game last night). We are center court, but two rows from the top of the building. The only cheaper tickets are at the same level in the curves.

My brother and I took 5 games that we wanted to go to and decided to go together. We each took the tickets for 8 other games (21 total regular season games -- its technically a little more than half; I wonder how that works out?). I took games that were before January and starting in March so that I'd be around when Little Rose pops out. I almost bought her a pink Suns shirt at the Team Shop. Maybe next time.

Maybe I've got romanticized memories of Amare two years ago, but he sure looked a lot more like Tom Chambers than Amare Stoudemire. Nothing against Chambers, and Chambers in his prime would be a great addition to this team, but I really wanted to see the old Amare. Maybe he'll get there, and maybe he won't.

I'm thinking that as long as Thomas or Amare makes it into the postseason, we're going to have a great shot at the championship. I also like the addition of a true backup point guard for Nash. It was so mish-mash last year. Banks looked sluggish, but at least he's not a square peg (Eddie House, Leandro Barbosa) in a circular hole.

And the future looks great.

Pat Burke, the only Irish-born NBA player, hit a three at the end of the game (try to remember Teen Wolf -- "Put it up, fat-boy!"). We went to the Team Shop in the arena afterward. Oddly enough, there were not No. 11 Burke jerseys for sale. You can get one with your name on it there; maybe I'll get a Burke one specially made.

Diaw, the only Frenchman I can stand, just signed a five-year extension.

With the exceptions of Nash, Thomas, and Piatkowski (who?), none of the players have been in the league more than 7 years and none (other than Pat Burke) were born before 1976. Marion is 28, Amare is 23, Barbosa is 23, and Diaw is 24. Even when Nash leaves (in a few years, I'd suppose) after 2 or 3 rings, the team is still young and strong. Next year I'll probably spring for tickets closer to the floor.