Jerseyin' Joe likes what he sees
Joumana, Jason, Jersey, and Joe
On Thursday, October 10th, Joe Netsfan travelled to NYC to attend the taping of the YES program "CenterStage" with Michael Kay as host and Jason Kidd as guest. Later that evening he attended the Nets' open practice at the Continental Arena. Swoon with Joe over Mrs. Kidd, and marvel with him over the new mood in the Arena.
Joe meets Joumana and Jason
I arrived at the YES studio in NYC about an hour before admission. There, I found myself number 5 on a line of 5 people waiting to get in. Standing there I killed time with another Netsfan, named Brian. Things were looking sort of sad, as about fifteen minutes before opening there were about 15 more people behind me.
When we were finally ushered in, we passed through metal detectors before being shunted into a basement and asked to fill out a slip of paper with our names, assigned seat number, and some questions for Jason Kidd. If we did that, we were told, we would be rewarded with some pizza and soda. I stopped after scribbling out seven questions – I didn't want to seem like a showoff.
Well, I got my pizza. Only then were told that any questions considered "dated" wouldn't be used, because they expect this show to run for the next three years or so. My only "undated" question was "who is your favorite player to play against?" but alas, it was not to be chosen for showtime.
We waited in the basement room another hour before we were marched in sequential order upstairs to the actual studio. Since I have taken their advice on dressing "business casual" perhaps a bit further than necessary, I was seated in the front row. A gentleman next to me was going to be allowed to ask Jason a question.
The producers then decided that the five "questioners" should be seated on the aisle, so they switched my neighbor to another spot and left his seat open.
We were asked to help with reaction shots, applause shots, and laughing shots that could be spliced in during the editing to make things look "real." It was a sobering look at the fakery behind the curtains in TV Land...but we played right along nonetheless. Finally, we were given word that Jason was getting his makeup on and that taping would start shortly.
But what was up with the empty chair?
Then it happened: Joumana Kidd, Jason's lovely wife, was ushered in and seated right beside me.
I have to tell you that Mrs. Kidd is even more beautiful in person than she appears on TV. We even chatted a bit. She is very down to earth and friendly. I certainly can't tell you that I now know for sure that Jason Kidd will be staying in NJ, but Joumana did make comments about loving NJ that seemed totally sincere. Feel better about that, Netsfans.
Jason himself was very funny, he could tell a good story, and he came across as a very humble (and humbled) guy. I learned that Jason considers himself just like Bob the Builder, the children's TV icon. He considers son TJ to be like a brother, and he likes to take naps. Oh, and believe it or not, his favorite musical groups include Bon Jovi and Bruce Springsteen – along with Jay-Z and Kenny G (!).
OK – show's over. Through my impeccable connections, I managed to get 10 seconds to speak with Jason Kidd, one-on-one, mano a mano, superfan to superstar. All I got to say was that it was nice to meet him, as I shoved a Joe Netsfan sticker in his hand. He turned to exit the room with a puzzled look on his face that was absolutely priceless. I'm sure a cartoon head on a small piece of paper was exactly what he was looking for.
Luckily for Jason, he also got to travel down the elevator with me on our way out of the YES studios. I remarked that the bodyguard next to him looked like Donny Marshall, and wondered aloud if "Donny was following him around." This brought a small chuckle from Kidd as we exited...that was good enough for me.
New Mood in the Continental Arena
I arrived late to open practice to the sight of the entire Net squad stretching with what looks like giant rubber bands. There was a good-sized, enthusiastic crowd of maybe 5000 fans in attendance to get their first look at the '02 - '03 Nets. As a matter of fact, when I entered they were booing loudly... which switched to cheers as an unruly fan was accosted by security, and then to chants of "throw him out!" as he was escorted from the arena. What would be the biggest cheer of the evening, however, came as my new buddy Joumana entered the floor with TJ in tow. The Kidds own this state.
After some drills they ran four on four scrimmages, with players rotating in and out of the queue. My first glimpse of "Defend-e Rebound-o" (as I will probably always think of Dikembe Mutombo) was impressive. He ran the floor in a style I can only call "running as if his sneakers were soaking wet." Rodney Rogers, who appeared to be greatly enjoying life as a Net, is also the widest Net by a long shot.
Other first looks included the latest incarnation of the Power 'N Motion squad, who signed autographs for anyone who could make their way down to the hockey boards behind the benches; Sly the Silver Fox, our anamolous mascot; swarms of Net employees, from the top brass, to the ticket pimps, to the ball boys. Yes, it's great to be a fan of the reigning Eastern Conference Champions. It honestly felt different in the Arena. Where there was once desperation and despair, there is now confidence and hope. Even the fans got better looking in the offseason.
The final act of the night, after a short full squad five on five scrimmage, was a pair of fan-oriented (read: kid oriented) activities: a trivia contest, in which five kids were given nice prizes for answering a not-too-difficult multiple-choice question correctly (with rookie Tamar Slay as the MC), and a two-ball competition won by Rodney Rogers and a young sharpshooter named John, who was more impressive than most of the Net players who participated (and you know who you are). With that, the hour-and-a-half fan festival was complete.
Let me make a few more notes on what I saw. By far the worst player at practice was Brandon Armstrong, who was making the kind of mistakes you see in grade school, and who couldn't seem to do the one thing he's supposed to be skilled at: putting the ball in the hole. I'd be very nervous if I was Brandon – or I would just try to calm down. Tamar Slay performed well, as did Rogers and A-Train. Perhaps the most impressive player on the floor was Richard Jefferson, who played with boundless energy and who seemed to live about the rim for most of the evening. Turned loose, I'm certain he'll make far more mistakes this year than he did last year, but mark my words, the kid's gonna be a star. I realize that after a single "show" practice, I don't exactly have hard evidence to work from...but you could see it in his eyes, Jefferson wants to be the best he can be. And don't think that Jason Kidd doesn't already realize it. Jefferson will be throwing down plenty of highlight dunks off of amazing Kidd passes this season.
And to think I'll probably miss most of it. Thanks, Cablevision.
Next week we're gonna get serious about the upcoming season. Team previews, player profiles, and some preseason picks are all coming your way. Stay tuned as we count the days until opening night.
- Joe Netsfan
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