Seattle Supersonics Promote Lust for Reading (& Hooters)
December 11, 2007 7:19 AM | 0 Comments
My husband Bryan and 10-year-old son Austin went to the Seattle Supersonics basketball game on Friday night. Austin won a ticket to the Sonics vs. The Milwaukee Bucks because he completed the NBA Read to Achieve challenge, which is aimed at fostering a lifelong love of reading. In turn, my husband had a good excuse to buy a companion ticket and indulge his lifelong love of basketball. Ironically, literary zeal isn't the only thing Austin won.
During the Sonics game, a blimp that periodically hovers over the crowd, rained down presents. Since the presents can't be heavy or sharp objects (they used to drop beer bottles), which would injure the spectators and erode the fan base, the presents usually take the form of promotional coupons. Austin won a $20 Trade Certificate to Hooters. When he came home with his prize, I laughingly said it's unlikely we'd be going to Hooters as a family and gave him a little educational indoctrination about what I knew of the franchise. First of all, I had to explain the double entendre of Hooters: A nickname for an owl, no doubt derived from the hooting sound it makes, and a slang word for women's breasts, akin to Big Berthas and bodacious ta tas. Austin's eyes got very wide and he insisted he had no interest in going to such an establishment.
Then, I began to feel guilty. What do I really know about Hooters? So, I checked out hooters.com. It turns out this fine dining establishement is not famous for well-endowed women wearing tight, white shirts and suntan hosiery that hasn't been in style since the '70s; they're famous for their wings. Hooters is also international, having just opened franchises in China, Israel and the Canary Islands. Lastly, they support our troops with Hooters calendar drops on isolated areas, giving our armed forces the fortitude to persevere.
So, now I'm starting to believe that it's possible men really read Playboy just for the articles. From an anthropological perspective I feel compelled to visit Hooters on a research mission, but I can't seem to find the coupon. Hmmmm....
Once I locate it, I'll share my field notes with you.
The Sports Widow
(aka Nan Hall)
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