P.D.A.A.

Tuesday night's game against the Squires ended with our team's loss. Final score was 40-38. The game was very close up until the last few minutes and the Dawgs played well overall. The referees made several questionable calls and many of the players got fouls. Oh well, blame the refs for the game loss!

But despite the disappointing loss, I was able to make a lot of observations and impressions while watching the game. I have to thank the girls watching with me for contributing to these ideas. First of all, we weren't sure what school the Squires team was from. So we played a guessing game trying to deduce the team's school just by watching the players. We quickly surmised that the team 1) had matching uniforms, which means they have money, and 2) were attractive. In sum, law students. I also should have guessed from the name: Squires, Esquire... Almost as clever name as Pavlov's Dawgs.

Now to our main reflection on the game: P.D.A.A., or Public Displays of Athletic Affection. We noted that athletes have a certain type of affectionate behaviors that convey camaraderie and team unity. The most common form of P.D.A.A. appears to be high-fives, low-fives, pat on the back, etc. But there is one very intriguing gesture that is unique to the basketball court: the butt pat, or what I have been told is called the "attaboy." Outside of the athletic arena, this gesture would be questionable, but is perfectly acceptable within the context of sports. We also observed the unusual verbal affection the players offered each other, such as "good hands, Haber" and other remarks that could easily turn into a "that's what she said" if it wasn't in reference to basketball. Other verbal affection included a lot of "good shots," "good job," and sticking up for the team when bad calls were made.

I also learned how athletes handle emotions, particularly disappointment when they get fouls, bad calls, and lose the game. First observation is: don't talk to a P.O.'d athlete. One of the fans made that mistake when she tried to ask an ejected player why he accrued a foul. He replied, "don't talk to me." So I guess it's best to leave them alone and allow them to deal with their emotions how they may. I also heard that one of the players couldn't sleep all night because he was thinking about the game, why they lost, and what they could have done better. I had no idea that much thought and anxiety goes into the game. I don't think I've lost that much sleep worrying about how something turned out since the last Bachelor finale.

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