Rolling the Stone Up the Nets' Hill

The New York Times likens Marco G., aka Glorious, the Nets' emcee, to  "Sisyphus with a microphone". What's that about? In the Greek Myth of Sisyphus, the myth's title character spends eternity in Hades rolling a stone up a hill, only to see it roll back down each time just before reaching the summit. In the modern world, the myth is transformed by the French philospher Camus. It's now about "man's futile search for meaning".  Get it?  Anyway, the Times followed Marco G. Khare around the IZOD during last Tuesday's Hawks game.  As the scoreboard tilted toward Atlanta, Marco could be heard bellowing the lines familiar to any Nets fan who's visited the late, (un)great arena in the last few years, starting with "Who wants a T-shirt?"

Petra Pope, Marco's boss, says "We can’t give up here. It’s our job. We are entertainers" but she admits, "There are games where he has to push a little harder."  As for Marco, the job is quite simple and has nothing to do with any Greek denizen of the underworld. "I’m really just looking to get smiles, trying to captivate people," he says cheerfully. It's all part of Brett Yormark's philosophy.  As he told Sports Business Journal this week, "I learned that at an early age you can never sell wins and losses. You must sell fun and the entertainment factor. It’s been a recipe for my entire career.”

• M.C. Leads Nets’ Cheers, for Everything but Wins - Howard Beck - New York Times