It’s Friday, Clever Girls and you know what that means- perhaps the most hated word in the entire female lexicon: sports. Not just sports- basketball. In an earlier post, we didn’t discuss terminology you will undoubtedly hear while watching a game. I will impart the important terms so you can feel part of the equation.
Hey- stop rolling your eyes, I have good news. I am not going to hit you with another full sport- HOCKEY- for at least two weeks, and let me tell you- the energy here is going to be palpable. It is my favorite. I can’t wait! Oh, and I have plenty of eye candy for you as a reward for your diligence here.
The first word I want to discuss is DRIBBLE- because it is critical to almost all movement of the ball in basketball. We all know what it looks like and we’ve all probably done it- we push the ball to the ground with our hand, let it bounce back up to our hand- repeat. A player who is holding the ball and NOT dribbling it must keep one foot firmly affixed to the floor- it is called the PIVOT FOOT. When they want to move with the ball, they must dribble it. The dribbling ends when the ball is “stolen” by another player, the dribbler touches it with both hands (you are not allowed to dribble with two hands- it’s called a DOUBE DRIBBLE- didn’t Peter, in the Fudge series by Judy Blume have a turtle named DRIBBLE? And didn’t Fudge eat it? OK, focus ...) or if the ball rests in one hand of the dribbler.
Now, back to the beginning.
ALLEY-OOP: That long ball- high in the air toward the basket where a team mate jumps up and dunks it into the basket for two points. This is when basketball is its most dynamic. On this play, the one who threw the ball gets an ASSIST.
ASSIST: The player who throws or passes the ball to the person who ends up putting it in the basket. They assist in the scoring.
BASKET INTERFERENCE: Also called GOALTENDING. If you hate geometry as much as I do, this will be a tough one. Imagine there is a space the size of the basket that extends further up toward the sky than anyone- even Rashid Wallace can reach. You are not allowed to get in that space as a defender when the ball is in movement.
BLOCKED SHOT: It’s pretty clear- a defensive player interrupts a shot.
BREAKAWAY: I am heartened by the fact some of these terms are similar to hockey terms. This is where it gets exciting again- when a defensive player steals the ball from an offensive player and drives his own net. You often see these gorgeous leaping baskets- long and balletic. It really is something to behold. I love the break away. See? I LOVE basketball.
BRICK: I am only including this term because it’s funny and I like to use it in reference to a really poorly executed concept or compliment. This is an unattractive or clumsy shot that bounces off the backboard or rim.
DUNK: When the ball is placed into the basket with force. Not shooting from a distance, but driving the basket and putting it in.
FAST BREAK: Similar to a break away, but is when a defensive player rebounds the ball and advances quickly toward his own basket.
LAY-UP: The offensive player dribbles his way toward the net and shoots a ball, which bounces off the backboard and into the net.
MAN-TO-MAN: A form of defense where each player is responsible for covering an offensive player.
PASS: The movement of the ball from one player to another.
POST: The area outside the lane near the basket.
REBOUND: Taking possession of a missed shot.
TRAVELING: As we discussed earlier, you can not advance the ball without dribbling unless you are shooting or passing. So, you can not take more than two steps without dribbling or you are traveling.
TURNOVER: Like any other game, this refers to a loss in possession- turning possession over to the other team.
OK, those are the terms, and I am not going to hold your hand here. We covered a lot in the other basketball posts- so, if you are curious what the lane is, where the end line or side lines are- the shot clocks, the positions- you need to look back in the archives. CLEVER Girls do their research. If you are dating someone who LOVES basketball, you had better get a jump on all this.
The only thing left to cover is penalties. We can do that next Friday, and do not worry, we are not running out of time. There are easily 585,000 more NBA games before the season ends. In the meantime- listen, learn and enjoy. If you simply can NOT do that- make plans with the girls and do not begrudge him this time- he WANTS to watch the game. What is the freaking problem? If you can not find SOMETHING to do while he is watching the game, you are not CLEVER at all- cease reading this blog. There are things called books- read one.
I promised a recipe for game day and this one is sooooooo yummy and easy.
WHAT YOU NEED:
Boar’s Head shaved turkey breast
Pita bread- I prefer whole wheat, but you can get white
Sliced low-fat Swiss cheese
SLAW
Green cabbage
Low-fat feta cheese
Good Seasons Italian dressing ( I make it with way more red wine vinegar than oil and I use Enove heart-healthy oil)
Green onions
Shred the cabbage with a sharp knife and place in a very large bowl. Slice green onions using the entire onion except each end. Add to cabbage. Add entire container of feta. Add as much of the Italian dressing as to create a slaw of the moisture you’d prefer. For this dish, I like it pretty wet as it serves as a dressing. Cover. Chill. Shake several times to break up the feta and thoroughly blend the ingredients.
When you are ready to serve- fill the pita with a slice of Swiss, some turkey and slaw. YUMMMMM
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