THE BBL BLOG
05/04/2008
The day after the night before and there they were. Like angels sent from above all shimmering in white and sugary sweet. Nothing beats a Rockette just when it seems your big Birmingham weekend is about to implode in spectacular style.
First there was the early start. Then there was the rain. After that came the inquisition into Steve Leven's verbal assault on all things Newcastle and to cap it all I was mistaken for a shop assistant in Selfridges. Maybe that's not such a bad career move after all. Staff discount is the only way I'll ever get my hands on most of that smart clobber unless that big basketball247 paycheck arrives sometime soon.
Anyway, back to the Rockettes and has there ever been a better pick-me-up in British sport? Even Fab Flournoy, too ill to lead out his team for a thoroughly entertaining third/fourth playoff, appeared to benefit from 'Rockette effect' as he gingerly made his way to a courtside seat in time to witness the final quarter of Newcastle's bizarre campaign.
At the same moment his boss appeared with a face that can best be described as stony. Paul Blake had spent the best part of 20 minutes holed up in a locker room discussing the finer points of diplomacy with the aforementioned Leven after the troubled Aussie failed to appear for the second half of a fixture he had played no part in. Blake was left to pick up the pieces. Leven just left.
There really is never a dull moment covering the BBL. OK, there have been one or two over the past 12 years but most were down to Tom Hancock. These days the big stories come hand in hand with the big personalities and that has to be good for the profile of a sport still very much the poor relation in the mainstream media. Any publicity is good publicity and all that. Even when it revolves around the remarkable Mr Leven.
For the record Newcastle lost today's third-fourth place fixture hot on the heels of Saturday's semi-final misery. But it wasn't all bad news for the men - or should I say boys - in black as the kids of the future contributed to a cracking game against Plymouth. Never heard of Will Spragg, Aaron Nielsen, Sam Attah and Brian McCotter? You have now.
And so to the showpiece occasion and for the first time all weekend the Eagles were not the big story. As Guildford and Milton Keynes took centre stage, Setanta Sport rolled out the big guns in the shape of Lynard Stewart and Andrew Bridge. If, as Leven suggests, certain Newcastle players need to start looking for new careers then these two are already ahead of the game.
And what a game. This is what finals are all about. Tough, tense, terrific entertainment. And half-time druids? Never seen that before but the trampoline kings dressed like Jedi Knights know how to bounce, dunk and work the crowd with a real 'wow' factor. Not a Rockettes 'wow' factor but brilliant nonetheless.
Hats off to double winners Guildford. And shouts out to Katie G for dropping her press pass in the canal, Rob F for dancing like a rabid Irishman, Woodsy for drinking white wine and Bev for everything else. Roll on 2009's Final Fours.
Simon Rushworth for 24/7
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