One row back!

Ever hear the basketball arena term feet on wood? It means you're sitting in the best seats in the house, with your feet resting on the wooden floor of the basketball court.

Well, I was sitting one row behind those guys today at A&M's Reed Arena, watching the Aggies play Arkansas-Pine Bluff!

Talk about in your face! The only person in front of me was the official camera man!
The Hullabaloo Band played on our left. Behind us students roared support for their team. Yell Leaders (think male cheerleaders here even though I'll get flack for saying that) pumped up the crowd right in front of us.

And the Aggie men thrilled us on the basketball court.

Up in the air, high among the rafters and lights, a blimp circled the arena before the game and during halftime, dropping coupons to the fans.

IT Guy and his friend Chris were piloting the blimp!

Both men are experienced RC (remote control) airplane pilots but flying a blimp is different than flying a winged machine so the men needed time to practice.

We (somebody had to carry the camera!) arrived at the arena a couple hours early. It was a totally different place than it would be when the game started. It was quiet and clean and empty!

The pilots conducted their pre-flight check

but to get it to the basketball court,
the guys had to tow the 13-foot blimp down a long hall.

Good thing it wasn't any bigger.

The pilots had to take into consideration
the air conditioning currents,
the heat of the lights,
and the weight of the coupons before and after release,
but they worked out the kinks

and got in a little practice time.

The crowd seemed to enjoy the show
and grabbed at the coupons.
(This is the giant TV screen shot. I hope you don't mind, A&M!)

And then, all too soon for the pilots,
it was time to bring the blimp down
and go home to the real world.

But it was fun while it lasted.
They only get to do it 30 more times!