bradjones

The Arena-Auditorium is hushed, except for a handful of fans for the other team, who make as much noise as 20 people dare make in such an environment. A few hundred UW fans have their hands in the air, fingers wiggling, silently willing the shot to drop smoothly through the net.

At the free-throw line is Brad Jones, and he's about to make his move. As he crouches down, the people taking up the rest of the row where I'm sitting begin their ritual: One by one, down the line, they each quietly chant: "bradjones," "bradjones," "bradjones," "bradjones" ... and the last one, the guy next to me, draws it out as the ball leaves Jones' hands: "braaaaaaadjones!"

Swoosh!

They congratulate each other. "It worked!"

Shot No. 2.

Jones bounces the ball a couple times, looks at the basket. Fan fingers are wiggling, cheerleader pom-poms are quietly shimmying ... Jones takes position, and my seatmates begin again ... "bradjones," "bradjones," "bradjones," "bradjones" ... the 20-something granddaughter of one of the couples joins in with her own "bradjones" ... the ball is airborne ... "braaaaaaadjones!"

It hits the rim, then bounces away. No good.

"Aww -- we musta done it wrong!"

No time to lament ... it's time to cheer!

*-*-*-*-*-

This group comes over by bus from Cheyenne for each Cowboys home game, and I only get to see (and hear) them on the Saturdays when I'm not working and there's a home game with available office tickets ... The first few times, it was hilarious, because they sounded like people just learning English, like "Brad Jones" had been the first phrase they'd ever learned. It still cracks me up each time they do it; I've begun to anticipate it, and I look forward to the moments when Brad Jones gets to make a free throw .... I look forward to hearing from the "bradjonesites" (as my publisher has dubbed them -- he sits two rows in front of them and hears the whole thing each game, too ...).

Braaaaaaadjones!
(Go 'Pokes!)