Harlem Globetrotters 2021 Review

 I recently had the opportunity to see the Original Harlem Globetrotters play at Fairfax VA.  Overall, it was a lot of fun and I want to write a review.  I'm choosing to not post this on any social media platform so if you're reading this, it is because somebody sent you a link or you just stumbled upon it by dumb luck.

Before I start this review, let me explain why I wrote it and give a bit of background.  My cousin is the referee and he invited me to bring my family since this might be the only chance we would get this year.  After the show, he asked me what I thought.  He seemed interested to hear my take on some of the changes.  I gave him some initial reactions but upon more reflection, there is a lot more to be said.  I'm really writing this so he has the feedback in case anybody at the organization asks him.

I have gone to Globetrotter shows for as long as I can remember starting in the mid1970's.  I've seen them in CA, WI and several times in VA.  It really is a wonderful American institution.  I'm a suburban white guy and I'm not a fan of professional basketball, but I have always enjoyed this show.  I took my older kids to shows a few years ago and now I have 5 year old daughters and it makes me happy to show them something that brought me laughter as a child.

Normally, a review would start with the good stuff and then finish up with the less than perfect aspects.  I'm going to do this in the opposite order because I want to finish on a positive note.

The DJ:  Okay... I get it.  New era, new music, new sound.  I'm a middle aged white guy so the music wasn't going to be my preference and I get that.  The fact that it was so loud was distracting but that wasn't the big complaint.  My big complaint is what happened to Sweet Georgia Brown?  That is a tradition that dates back to the original team.  The familiar whistling during the introductions is an integral part of the charm of the Globetrotters and it was missing entirely.  Instead, we got bombarded by thumping loud music.  It wasn't until near the end that I could identify a hint of Sweet George Brown in the midst of the thumping.  I was very saddened by this.

Granny:  I couldn't understand a single word she said.  I'm betting it was funny but her accent and cadence over the loudspeakers made her totally unintelligible.  

The Pimp:  I'm not sure he was supposed to be a pimp, but that's how he was dressed.  I think he was supposed to be some sort of caricature of a shady doctor/lawyer or huckster but it just looked like a street hustler in fancy clothes which I associated with a pimp.  I could understand a few words and phrases but again, due to the accent and cadence, the speakers made him sound garbled most of the time.

Now remember... I'm a suburban white guy and I'm not really one to get offended at much.  Were I one of the "woke" crowd, I probably would have noticed that both of those characters reinforced racial stereotypes.  I'm not sure how the black community feels about this and I would never presume to speak for them, but to me, it looked like mockery.  Perhaps I'm way off on this.  Wokeness has killed comedy so I'm not sure how the organization can deal with this.

The running commentary from the floor:  This was usually funny stuff when I could understand it.  I could understand about half of it.  It was partially the accent but I think some fine tuning of the soundboard could clear it up.  There was too much echo and bass.  Same holds true of the emcee.  

Clock management:  Maybe I'm the only guy who noticed, but the game clock continued to run during time-outs, skits and breaks from play.  It would almost randomly stop when somebody realized the game clock would expire before the show was over.

Now for the good stuff:

Athleticism:  This is just fun to watch.  The skills just amaze me.  They enthralled my daughter.  It makes basketball fun.

The team:  I don't remember the names but some of the team members were really fun.  The girl in particular was awesome.  She is talented, but the expression on her face was one of pure joy.  She not only looked like she was having fun, she looked approachable which is missing in professional sports today.  The midget was amazing to watch and the other players were just great fun.

The referee:  Yes, he is my cousin but he genuinely stole the show on several occasions.  I could understand every word he said on mic.  His comedic timing shows he works well with the team.  The skits involving him were some of the highlights of the show.  It was funny to see him in the hallway after the game as people asked for his autograph.  The crowd felt connected to him.

The overall show:  It was just a fun mix of old tricks and stunts with good chemistry on the floor.  My daughter had a blast and I loved pointing out the rewind and slow motion tricks along with the guy on the rim just before the end of a period.  Just great family entertainment all around.  

So take this for what it is.  It is just the opinion of one guy.  I might not be representative of the typical Globetrotter fan, but I have been enjoying these shows for more than 40 years.  I notice things that others may not.  Thanks for reading.