I come from Philly, a sports mecca where we're close with our sports teams.
It's a place where the fans get chided for talking in "We"s ... "we won", "we lost" when the game is over.
Well, Osceola County, ya'll became "We" Monday night down at the Silver Spurs.
Sure, the outcome wasn't what you-slash-we wanted, a 118-110 Osceola Magic loss to the Stockton Kings in the deciding game of the NBA G League Championship.
But 3,421 of you, darn near a sellout in the arena's G League configuration, recognized the significance and cheered them on. You gave us on press row a warm feeling by creating a buzz in the building fitting of a Game 7 ... er, 3.
You proved to a group of professional athletes who have no other connection to Osceola County than playing ball for six months in town -- wearing the name of your county on their jerseys -- that the Osceola Magic are Osceola's team.
Trust me, they noticed Monday.
“We couldn’t have asked for a better crowd, they packed this whole building,” Coach Dylan Murphy said. “They’ve been building toward this for two years.”
“The fans were really great, and I’m hurt we couldn’t get it done for them tonight,” said guard Ethan Thompson.
We've been down this road before. Down that road, U.S. 192, have come other sports teams.
Remember the Kissimmee Kreatures, the Osceola Ghostriders, the Florida Seals and the Orlando Sea Wolves? Based on the crowds for those football, hockey and indoor soccer games, you probably don't.
It doesn't hurt that, over the last two seasons, guys like Brandon Williams, Trevelin Queen, Colin Castleton, and even fan favorite Mac McClung for one game, have moved on to the NBA.
That crowd Monday was about 2,000 more than the normal crowd this year. That means that 2,000 people who normally wouldn't have seen the Magic play have the chance to set their jaw to root another team of NBA hopefuls when they return in the fall.
Sure, the Stockton Kings made a few three-pointers and threw down a few dunks, but none of them could wipe the smile off the faces of people like Osceola President Hans Steinbrenner and Osceola Heritage Park GM Robb Larson, a self-described "old school basketball guy."
As for those of you who came out Monday … Don't be sad. Don't get mad.
Get motivated. Then get busy.
Because the Osceola Magic are now Osceola's team. Because you – “We” – said so Monday.
