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
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Marco G. is ANNOYING!
Along with the incredibly shrill music and defectively cold AC, one of the main reasons to stay as far away as possible from IZOD on a game night.
hey, you forgot
the ever changing traffic patterns, the “ha, ha, find me” parking lot entrances, the ghost of Xanadu looming large and ugly, the Burgundy Blazer Brigade, the ominous cracks in the (one) concourse floor near the entrance to Section 112, etc.
I go for the Premio sausage sandwiches.
LOL. I sat courtside for the first time a couple of weeks ago… I was excited to see the “exclusive lounge” and all that… Then I got in there. A dimly lit room with a tiny bar and hot dogs on 7-11 style turners. Like finding out there’s no Santa.
And that MC IS veeerry annoying. The t-shirt toss is like the Nets fans’ bread and circuses. They’ve even added the “burrito toss” to keep the masses happy. And, spoiler alert, the burrito is nothing but a Chipotle shirt with a teeny tiny Nets logo on the sleeve. I’d rather a real burrito be hurled across the Izod.
by JohnFromLongIsland on Mar 20, 2010 10:40 AM EDT via mobile reply actions
@ JohnFromLongIsland
Funny story about that burrito toss. I go to a lot of games so I always find it funny when people think its a real burrito being tossed. One game this season a dancer through one into the crowd, it bounced off a hand and hit this lady and her 2 year old, the lady yells out…“Oh my god! my baby just got hit with a burrito!!”…I know I shouldn’t laugh but it was one of the funniest things I ever heard.
As far as the courtside club it is nothing like you see in other arenas. Not even close actually. But I have sat courtside this year at least 6 or 7 times for no more than 50.00 a ticket and you really can’t beat getting free food and drinks plus a basketball game for that price. Its the only part of this season I will miss…especially when their winning and I wont be able to afford it.
by Christopher Manchesi on Mar 20, 2010 10:54 AM EDT up reply actions

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