Audio By Carbonatix
4/24
Many years ago, when I did more basketball playing and a whole lot more drinking (but never at the same time, though I suspect that would make for an interesting story), a friend persuaded me to fill in for him in one of those ubiquitous three-on-three hoops tourneys that pop up each year in various cities across the country. I’m pretty sure I was drunk when my buddy asked me–and even if I wasn’t, it makes for a better story to remember it that way. Whatever, I agreed. On that fateful day, I grabbed my sneaks and my headband, threw on some baggy shorts and made my way to the court, which was located on an uneven patch of dirt and gravel under a highway near the West End. That was the first problem. The second, more daunting issue was that our team sucked. Bad. Needless to say, we were smacked around pretty good, which I blame on my teammates and their reluctance to give me the ball on each and every possession even though I didn’t make a shot all day. (The way I figured it, I was due to hit one eventually.) That was the last time I played in a three-on-three tourney. But don’t let that discourage you. If one of your pals approaches you in the coming days–especially if you’re drinking at the moment of the proposal–you should accept, if only for the experience. The next opportunity: The USSSA three-on-three national tour stops in Dallas on April 24 and April 25. There’s more good news: This particular tourney will be played in Fair Park (1300 Robert B. Cullum Blvd.) and not under a highway. Team registration runs from $110 to $185. Spectators are welcome and admitted free. Visit
www.3on3basketball.com. –John Gonzalez
Run for the Dough
4/25
It seems odd for The Jewish Community Center of Dallas to stage a 5K and 10K footrace this Sunday and call it the Bagel Run. Boiled and baked bread products and exercise go together as well as Palestinians and Israelis. But maybe the folks at JCC know something we don’t. We turned to an online calorie calculator to check. A large bagel has that many calories? This is gonna be tough. We weigh around 195 pounds butt naked, but shoes and shorts add another 40 pounds to lug. Our normal pace is 7 mph, but this is a race, so we could get ambitious and do 12. Add this, divide that, and hey, what do you know? We can race and eat our usual four bagels. We’ll be at the Aaron Family JCC parking lot, 7900 Northaven Road, at 7 a.m., ready to eat and run. (Registration is $20 for the 5K, $25 for the 10K.) –Patrick Williams
Sail Away
4/24
Chillin’ like a family o’ villains at Flagpole Hill on White Rock Lake last weekend, we got a clear view of the nine and a half miles of shoreline that make up Dallas’ only naturally beautiful spot–unless you count Angie Harmon’s belly, and I do. Want proof? Hit the lake this weekend and witness the majestic beauty of hundreds of sailboats during the 2004 Leukemia Cup Regatta. Races Saturday and Sunday are hosted by the Corinthian Sailing Club to raise money for a good cause. Online registration is available at www.dcyc.org/lcr. First guns are off at 10:30 a.m. Saturday and 9 a.m. Sunday. See you there, mate. –Eric Celeste
Word to Mother Earth
4/23
This Thursday is EarthDay. And if, like us, you’ve spent the other 364 days of the year tossing soda cans in the trash, sipping from Styrofoam cups, eating the occasional dolphin and sucking nitrous oxide out of whipped cream cans, then maybe it’s time–finally–to do something about it. Like buy a carton of whippets. Or cheer on the healthy, robust folk at the Clean Air Fair & Bike Rally. Crowds gather Friday on Main Street in downtown Fort Worth to pay homage to cyclists tackling a 13-mile course in honor of I-don’t-know-maybe-you’ve-heard-of-her Mother Earth. It’s the least you could do after using all that ’80s hairspray. There will also be music, earth-friendly demos and vendors. Visit www.fortworthgov.org/DEM/caf2004.htm or call 817-392-8570. –Sarah Hepola