Magic against the Lakers

Last night I went down to the Amway Arena to see what kind of crowd gathered for the big game between the Orlando Magic and the Los Angeles Lakers. Fans couldn’t seem to resist playing the cheesy radio promotional games. All the games seemed to be run by women who looked like they had just come off a shift of working at Hooters. I feel fans like these should be required to pay higher taxes to help pay for the 480 million dollar Orlando Events Center.
I sat down on a grassy knoll to do this sketch. As I was working I heard the sound of a horse exhaling loudly behind me, sure enough when I turned around, there stood four police horses. I had just sketched at the Mounted Unit Barn a few weeks ago and I started to wonder if the horses remembered me. I heard one office say “Woo back up.” I am certain those horses watched every line as I put it down on the page.
Twice groups of fans arrived chanting at the top of their lungs, “Lets Go Magic!” Others would join the chant and it would gradually quiet down as the fans filtered into the stadium. Some fans wore huge Afro wigs and blue and white capes. Across the street someone was standing on a soap box and preaching. Trucks drove by with huge images of aborted fetuses running down the side of the truck. Another protest was against the Russell Corporation which produces Spalding Basketballs and Huffy Sports Backboards and has factories in Honduras that function as sweatshops. This group was banging on buckets and waving a photo of David Stern the NBA commissioner .
I returned home to watch the game on TV and as I am writing this the Magic are trailing by 10 points and it looks pretty hopeless. So much for the Finals. I don’t think I need to watch the end of this game.