Jammin' with the Mavs.

While Ryan went to the band lock-in, Katie and I kicked off our Katie's birthday/fall break/Texas-OU weekend by heading to the Mavs Fan Jam.



Before the Blue-White scrimmage started, Katie collected a few autographs from Mavs Dancers and ManiAACs. We also got to see the team warm up.

After player introductions, the scrimmage was underway. Since it was Mavs vs. Mavs, it was hard to know when to cheer, so we just yelled for all the good plays on offense and defense.


Enticed by the aroma of fried delicacies from nearby fans, Katie decided she'd spend some of her allowance on a cup of fries. While we were out in the concourse, we also won a T-shirt from ESPN Radio!


After that outing, we settled into seats behind the opposite goal. While we waited for halftime to end, Katie tried out a series of poses. She couldn't pick her favorite, so she figured the blog needed all four:





We loved getting to see the Mavericks up close. We haven't made it to a game for a season or two, and even then, we were in the nosebleed seats! Seeing these big guys from our seats in the lower bowl was a real treat.

Throughout the game Katie kept asking when we'd see the "belly dancers." These guys, the ManiAACs, are famous for their big bellies, and sure 'nough, we got to see them (and the Mavs Dancers) bust a move.




After the game we watched the players toss shirts, sweatbands, towels and even shoes into the crowd. Then we headed to the AT&T Plaza there at Victory Park. It was our first time to visit since construction was completed, and we were awed by the giant video screens...

...and the Channel 8 studio!

And what a nice view we had of downtown Dallas!

What a great start to our fall break!