by Jeanni Ritchie
I must admit, my absolute favorite Globetrotter memory took place off the court. I knew who they were, of course, from my dad taking my sister and me to see them at the Coliseum in the 70’s. I was impressed at how well they played, even with all their shenanigans.
I also thought wrestling was real!
My naivety aside, I enjoyed the exhibition team known for its pranks and showmanship on top of stellar b-ball moves. But there was one move I never saw coming.
Watching The Amazing Race for the first time ever with two of my then-high school kids, we watched as the affable Globetrotter duo Flight Time and Big Easy found themselves in last place and in danger of elimination. Steps ahead was half of a rival team, a woman terrified of heights who had a 15-minute window to go down a giant water slide and avoid elimination. The rules stated that after 15 minutes, the next team would go ahead.
In true Globetrotter trash-talking form, the ballers used their entire 15 minutes to convince their opponent terrible things would happen if she attempted the feat. To the dismay of her husband, who I’m certain never attended a Globetrotter game after the race, she scratched and Flight Time and Big Easy avoided elimination.
Perhaps poor sportsmanship, though all’s fair in love and ball, but I became a huge fan of both the reality competition and the duo that day. It was just funny, their innocent faces and feigned concern disguising their true motives.
The next time I saw Flight Time and Big Easy was in Biloxi, Mississippi, the very night that the NBA shut down for the remainder of the 2020 season. Little did we know when we arrived that it would be the last in-person event at the Mississippi Coliseum for nearly two years.
I was delighted to discover the Globetrotters were coming back to the Rapides Parish Coliseum this year. I excitedly submitted an interview request, hoping to meet my hero duo in person this time. Alas, they’d retired post-pandemic, having enjoyed long and illustrious careers as Globetrotters.
But new guys had taken their place. In fact, as I sat court side as the team trotted out, I realized these “old men” I’d watched as a child were now younger than my own children! I laughingly lamented this fact to Crash, who took a seat next to me before the game!
The next couple of hours were filled with fun and photo ops, trick shots and audience participation.
The Harlem Globetrotters have been an American institution for over 90 years, entertaining more than 148 million fans in 123 countries and territories worldwide. Their commitment to the fans, in dazzling displays and breaking down barriers, goes far beyond the game.
Jeanni Ritchie is a contributing journalist from Central Louisiana. She can be reached at jeanniritchie54@gmail.com.
