The Cheap Seats

The journey begins at five o’clock sharp.

Eight kids awaiting one bus in a snowstorm that would make an

                 Eskimo shiver.

The bus finally arrives, splashing through endless amounts of

                  melted snow to deliver us to our destination.

We get on the graffiti laced vehicle and already know the drill.

A buck thirty-five get us to the drab, concrete mausoleum that is

                  Alewife Station in a matter of minutes.

Just typical, no thrills Boston at its finest.

Only in Beantown can you pay more for a five minute bus ride than

                  a forty minute ride on the world’s noisiest subway.

Inbound on the Red Line to Park Street.

From Park Street on the Green Line to hallowed North Station.

Getting off the train is like going to a St. Patrick’s Day parade.

Nothing but a huge sea of green.

Scalpers announce their wares to the passerby.

The souvenir vendors are out in full force.

Time to escape the madness for some pizza.

Halftime Pizzeria: Great slices at quality prices.

So catchy, yet so very true to its word.

I could wait an eternity for a sub, but real fans stick to the basics.

Two slices of cheese and a Coke.

Snarfing down my meal, I dissect tonight’s match up with the rest of

                 the guys.

The consensus: Celtics win by twenty.

We make our way to the Fleetcenter.

Home to the most legendary franchise in basketball.

Watching the pregame warm-ups is a sign of things to come.

The Celtics keep draining shots.

The Knicks can’t make layups.

It’s going to be a rout for the ages.

And a night of fun in the cheap seats.

Game time approaches.

Time for the trek up to the nosebleeds.

I feel like I need my own sherpa after endless

                 layers of stairs.

We arrive at Section 315, Row 20

Last row of the arena.

The crew couldn’t be more satisfied.

Plopping down in our narrow, uncomfortable chairs,

excitement fills the air.

We could shell out forty dollars and sit with the wine

                 and cheese crowd.

But why would we?

Everyone knows that the most devoted fans are

                 in the cheap seats.