Most students that were away on winter break probably missed the launching of the Valley's own ABA fran chise, the Phoenix Eclipse.
Actually, you didn't miss much except for bad minor league basketball and cheap opening-night thrills that included appearances by Phoenix Suns stars Shawn Marion, Rodney Rodgers and Stephon Marbury, former Sun Charles Barkley, Arizona Cardinal mascot Big Red and Arizona Rattler enthusiast Fang. You also missed $1 tickets, $1 hot dogs and $1 beers — a delight for almost any college student.
More than 5,000 people witnessed the guest star appearances and drank cheap beer during the Eclipse's debut against the Detroit Dogs in late December at Veteran's Memorial Coliseum in Phoenix. With tickets that cheap, who can blame them?
However, after taking out the opening-night food deals, the athlete cameos and the mascots, all that remained was a sloppy minor league game that the Eclipse won, 115-103.
It was not quite as bad as pick-up basketball at the Student Recreation Center, but wasn't far from that. Passes flew around wildly, shots clanked off rims and coaching philosophies were obviously not in place just yet.
But not all hope for the fledgling franchise was lost, while fans in the front row dodged errant passes. The Eclipse currently stand at 10-2, giving them the best winning percentage of any Valley-based sports franchise in state history.
All 21 Eclipse home games are scheduled for Fridays, Saturdays or Sundays, including this weekend when Phoenix plays host to Kansas City (Friday) and Indiana (Saturday). Tip-off for both games are scheduled for 7 p.m.
With $8 tickets still available to the general public, the games are an excellent opportunity for poor college students to check out professional sports without leaving their apartments and having to move back into the dorms. Besides, after enough drinks, it's not like you can tell the difference between Suns guard Penny Hardaway and Eclipse guard Teddy DuPay.
The level of play is bound to get better, as nine of the Eclipse's 13 players have at least some NBA experience. Phoenix guard Richie Frahm is an assassin from three-point range and 7-foot center Horacio Llamas looks like he could be the Shaquille O'Neal of the ABA.
The mere fact that Llamas, a former Sun, is wearing an Eclipse uniform should instill some hope in the fans of the newly formed franchise. The Suns could effectively turn the Eclipse into their own personal farm club. If one of their centers were to go down, the first call they make would go to Llamas' agent.
Throw in the fact that former UA forward Justin Wessel is on the roster, and a night of jeering Eclipse air balls with a "U of A sucks" chant is always a possibility. But it would take much more than Suns players showing up at an occasional game and the inclusion of built-in villains like Wessel to keep the Eclipse afloat.
Large crowds, like that which showed up for $1 tickets on opening night, must return to the Mad House on McDowell when the cost goes up and the opening-night thrills have faded away.
Matt Kee is an undeclared graduate student. Reach him at matthew.simpson@asu.edu.
