On February 18, 2007 I went to see the Harlem Globetrotters for the first time in 35 years; the last time being early 1972 at the Rapides Coliseum in Alexandria LA. Their opponent today was the New York Nationals. Before the game the Globetrotters conducted a "Globetrotters University" in which members of the audience would participate with the players to learn the secrets of how the ball is moved around and trick dribbled. They made it look so easy but we all know that it takes lots of practice.
The Harlem Globetrotters were not even originally from Harlem, or even New York. They were formed in Chicago in 1926 as an outlet for African Americans to play basketball. They added some comedy to the playing and started touring and barnstorming. Since that time they have visited nearly every country in the world. By combining comedy, audience participation, and good basketball playing, at the time of their 20,000 game in 1998, they had managed to amass a record of 19,668-332. Their skills also allowed them to appear in movies and in cartoons. They are the only sports franchise to have a star on Hollywood's Walk of Fame, and the second team to be inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame as a team.
The game on February 18, 2007 was like most of the other games: audience participation, some great skits and comedy, and good ballplaying. I managed to laugh a lot and at the end of the game got my program autographed by one of the players.
On May 10, 2008 the Harlem Globetrotters participated in Amtrak's National Train Day at New York's Penn Station. A makeshift basketball half court was set up near the Amtrak ticket offices, and 5 members of the team strutted their stuff. Since we were in Penn Station on our way to a Broadway show, I got to see them live for a little while. However, I hope to see a full game in an arena again, perhaps late in this year or else in 2010.
PS: It was May 10, 1869 that the Transcontinental Railroad was finished.
