Merry Christmas to me

How sad is it that I have to use my vacation day if I want to watch a good game?
I used Saturday as my Christmas vacation day in order to watch the El Dorado/Junction City boys basketball game at the Camden Fairview Holiday Classic. If I didn't use the day as a holiday, I would've been stuck in the office, waiting for Kev Moye' to send in his game story.
Oh hell, no. Not again.
People think, as a sports writer, I get to see all of the big games. It's actually the opposite. If I'm not actually covering the game, I have to be in the office putting the sports pages together. I miss a large chunk of the good stuff. And, I almost never get to watch the big games on television, anymore.
This isn't a poor, poor pitiful me, blog. I know how fortunate I am to have a job I enjoy. If all I had to do was watch games, I suppose it wouldn't be a job, now would it?
I actually pondered driving to Hampton to see Parkers Chapel's girls play Crossett at 3:50 and then swinging back by Camden to cover El Dorado's girls against Strong at 7 before watching the big boys game at 8:30. But, I didn't know if the games would be on time and I also wanted to get inside the gym at Camden before they locked the doors.
I barely made it.
I got to Camden at about 6:30 and the parking lot was already jam packed. I ended up parking all the way up into the softball parking area. They opened up two doors to enter the gym and the lines were all the way down the sidewalk and into the parking. If it wasn't for my press pass, I would never have gotten in. Remember, this is still two hours before the big boys game.
Unfortunately, but, somewhat predictably, Strong didn't have enough firepower to hang with El Dorado in the girls game, which got out of hand fairly early. But, El Dorado and Junction City's boys brought enough excitement and intensity for two games.
The roar from the jam-packed crowd just when the boys teams entered the gym in their street clothes sent a shiver down my spine. The place was electric.
"I just remembered why I became a sports writer," Camden News editor Kelly Blair yelled to me at the media table.
I couldn't help but to concur. I love football and all the other sports, but there ain't nothing like a gymnasium, overflowing with rabid basketball fans.
The game went, pretty much, as I expected. I want to see the 2A team that can beat Junction City this year. They just got off the football field and they're already soaring on the hardwoods. Jamario Bell is a beast and Tyrus Grayson looks like a college player. The Dragons outlasted the Wildcats 80-74 in a high-flying display of dunks and long-range shooting.
El Dorado's team is young, led by sophomore Czar Perry (speaking of a college caliber player). In my opinion, the crowd was probably in Junction City's advantage as the Dragons have performed on that type of stage before. I'm not sure the Wildcats have ever played in that type of atmosphere.
In any event, the game will benefit both teams. I know it helped me remember why I chose my profession. I love big games with raucous crowds - a hot gym on a cold winter night. It's the kind of stuff folks will be talking about for a long while.
I'm happy I'll be able to participate in those conversations.
How was my Christmas, you ask? Christmas Day was nothing special. But, Saturday, my Christmas holiday, was off the chain.
Merry Christmas!