He who thanks but with the lips
Thanks but in part;
The full, the true Thanksgiving
Comes from the heart.
~ J.A. Shedd

J has always cherished having family over for the holidays. That is because we live quite a distance away, and they don’t get to visit very often.

It has been an unofficial tradition that every year, we see a [1] Cleveland Cavaliers basketball game during Thanksgiving weekend — just a fun family thing to do.

A couple of years ago, I played in a charity golf tournament with some of the Cleveland Cavaliers and other NBA pro basketballers. During dinner that night, there were prizes that were auctioned off for charity. I decided to bid on a unique one i.e. to be the Cleveland Cavaliers Sixth Man announcer for the day. In other words, the person who won it was made the official game announcer introducing the team and getting the whole basketball arena riled up before they made their entrance. Those of you out of the country not familiar with sports team introductions here in the US — it is a big thing i.e. with pyrotechnics, streamers and loud music.

Well, as you might have already guessed where this story is going… I won the auction and decided to request the same game date that J’s family was going to attend i.e. Thanksgiving weekend.

On game day, we arrived at the basketball arena a couple of hours early. The family had wondered why we went so early, and we told them that it was easier finding a parking spot. In truth, I had to get there to talk to the production managers. The family still had no clue to what was going to happen.

So 10 minutes before the game started, after the national anthem was sung, the producers waved me on … it was my cue to announce. With the camera pointing at me, my face plastered on every big screen in the arena and to an eerie silence of about 20,000 people, I looked into the camera and said,

“Cleveland Cavalier Fans, My name is xxxx and I am your Cavalier’s Sixth Man for tonight!”

I had to pause for a bit as they started chanting my name. This was the part I had to rile up the fans and make the place go wild.

I shouted, “Cavalier fans… are you ready?”

The whole stadium stood up and started cheering in anticipation for the team to make its entrance.

“I can’t hear youuuuuuu, louder!”

(Didn’t think the crowd could get any louder but they did!)

“OK! Let’s turn down the lights!”

The lights in the stadium turned off (at my command) for the team to make their big entrance together with loud music and pyrotechnics.

J’s family was absolutely dumbfounded and the look on their faces when they saw me on the big screen was priceless. They never once expected me to announce in front of 20,000 people yet alone at the same game they were at.

It was hard to describe the feeling of hearing 20,000 fans cheer my name. Wherever I went in the arena that night, people were shaking my hands, giving me high fives and chanting my name — I felt like a celebrity! While we were walking back to the parking lot, cars passing us honked loudly, the people inside their cars yelled my name, wound down their windows and gave me high fives. It was a night to remember and certainly for the family too.

This is the first time in many years that we are going back to the in-laws for Thanksgiving instead of them coming to visit us. There won’t be a basketball game this year (unfortunately) but nevertheless it’ll be nice to be around family at this time of the year. I love Thanksgiving dinner and look forward to it every year, although I always feel a little sick after that from overeating but the after dinner naps certainly do help ease some of it.

So, we are off to the in-laws in a couple of hours and I’ll be taking a break from blogging for a few days.

From everyone here at The Foo Logs i.e. J, Miles and me…

Happy Thanksgiving! Hope it is a memorable and happy one.

I’ll leave you with a Thanksgiving quote:

Let us remember that, as much has been given us, much will be expected from us, and that true homage comes from the heart as well as from the lips, and shows itself in deeds.

(Theodore Roosevelt, 1901)

(Picture Sources: [2] about.com and [3] off the mark)