GAME ON!

David Cathey, LOOKatOKC Editor

Published: October 29, 2008

After a two-year test drive with the Hornets, and a hard-fought tug of war with Seattle, Oklahoma City is officially an NBA fixture.

You wanted a major league franchise, Oklahoma City?

Here ya go…

Cool, now what do we do?

Well, enjoy basketball for starters — the NBA brand. The world’s greatest athletes will perform their high-performance, high-flying act 41 nights to the city during the next 7 months.
v You’ll love this game, the NBA promises.

Buyer Beware!

While the Ford Center will become the place to be each of those 41 dates, expect growing pains with this young bunch. When the Hornets arrived shortly after Hurricane Katrina, most pundits expected 20 wins tops.

Of course, those pundits hadn’t seen Chris Paul play in the NBA yet.

While the Thunder doesn’t have Chris Paul, Kevin Durant is the NBA’s reigning Rookie of the Year. Now that we’ve graduated to the big leagues, it’s time for Sooner and Cowboy fans to learn to love a Longhorn. You’ll be glad you did. Durant led the team in scoring and is expected to be the face of the franchise and the player eventually who lifts the team to new heights.

Desmond Mason returns to the Ford Center, too. The former Oklahoma State star was a fan favorite here as a Hornet two years ago and, funky jumpshot aside, is bound to continue as such with his gritty defense and high flying dunks.

Big 12 basketball fans will also recognize Nick Collison, who starred for Kansas from 1999-2003. Collison, who begins his fifth season, is a rugged inside presence with a nice shooting touch. He averages a touch under 10 points and rebounds per game, though those numbers have improved each of his four years in the league. The in-game experience should be similar to what fans enjoyed during the Hornets’ two-year stint, bouncing mascots, fans attempting half-court shots and a heavy dose of stadium standards turned up to 11. (see list)

And, of course, there’s the Thunder girls.

They were formally introduced during the preseason game against the Clippers, but they will make their official debut tonight. Bring your own binoculars.

Parking
Expect to pay $5 to $10 for parking around the Ford Center. You might want to bring a couple DVDs for the kids — one for the drive in, one for the drive out. (see list)

Pregame
Unless you’re down with hot dogs or chicken strips, Bricktown is just a few steps away. Food and drink is plentiful. The midtown district is just a few miles north and offers flavors from around the globe.

Here are 8 places to eat within a quarter mile of the Ford Center from wimgo.com:
1. Falling Water Grille
2. Zio’s Italian Kitchen
3. Chelino’s Mexican Restaurant
4. Soleil
5. Colcord Oyster Bar
6. The Melting Pot
7. Abuelo’s Mexican Embassy
8. Daiquiri Zone Sports Grill

Postgame
If you want to wait out the traffic, a number of Bricktown bars are open on game nights. Here are 10 clubs within half a mile of the Ford Center from wimgo.com: 1. Water’s Edge Cigar & Piano Bar
2. The Biting Sow
3. Colcord Oyster Bar
4. Drinkz
5. Rok Bar
6. Maker’s Cigar and Piano Bar
7. Tapwerks Ale House & Cafe
8. CityWalk
9. Red Piano Loung
10. Skyy Bar Ultra Lounge

DVDs to watch in the back seat while waiting in Thunder traffic
The Fish That Saved Pittsburgh
Drive, He Said
White Men Can’t Jump
One on One
Cornbread, Earl and Me.
Semi-Pro
He Got Game
Hoosiers
Hoop Dreams
Air Bud
The Air Up There
Space Jam
The Harlem Globetrotters on Gilligan’s Island
The Absent-Minded Professor
Fast Break
Inside Moves
Teen Wolf
Baseketball
Glory Road
Like Mike

Stadium Standards Playlist
We Will Rock You, Queen
Rock and Roll, Part II, Gary Glitter
Blitzkrieg Bop, The Ramones
Get Ready 4 This, 2 Unlimited
Zombie Nation, Kerncraft 400
Rock Star, N.E.R.D.
Cotton-Eyed Joe, Rednex
Who Let the Dogs Out, The Baha Men
Celebration, Kool and the Gang
Power, Snap!
Mony, Mony, Billy Idol
Gonna Make You Sweat, C&C Music Company
We Will Rock You/We Are the Champions, Queen
This Is How We Do It, Montell Jordan
Jump Around, House of Pain
Takin’ Care of Business, Bachman Turner Overdrive
Oh, Yeah, Yello

Your thoughts!