I’ve been to a number of professional sporting events including NFL games, hockey games and last spring was our first NBA game in Chicago. We went to the Bulls game with our baby and have also taken her to a Winnipeg Jets (hockey) game here at home. The Bulls game was a lot of fun and probably the best sporting event we’ve been to for kids. We decided to go on a last-minute trip to Minneapolis this fall;, there wasn’t a Vikings home game that weekend, so we decided to book a Timberwolves game. Would it be as fun as the Bulls game? We were going to find out.
We were with another couple and managed to score 4 pretty good tickets for less than $70 CAD a person. Basketball tickets are reasonably priced and much cheaper than NFL tickets, so attending an NBA game is something to consider and a good reason to get out of Winnipeg for a road trip. The prices was on par with what we paid in Chicago too. Our seats were high up, but we were close to half court, and plus at basketball games, you can see pretty good no matter how high you are, so the price was good and the view was great.
As for the game itself, the Minnesota Timberwolves were playing the Miami Heat and it was a good game. It was back and forth, and like all NBA games there was a lot of action. NBA games are exciting in person because they’re fast paced, there’s lots of scoring and seeing 3 pointers, dunks and guys who are 7 feet tall is pretty exciting. Not only was it exciting for us, but it was a lot of fun for our baby girl. She was dancing, clapping and cheering, and this was partially due to the engaging nature of NBA games, with music between plays, mascots getting the crowd going and lots of activities with the crowd. There was plenty of merch tossed into the crowd, and this encouraged the fans to raise their voices and have a lot of fun. It was a blast for our baby girl, and the couple we were with even caught a free shirt. The game was good too, but unfortunately I seem to be bad luck for the home crowd and should be banned from NBA games. Like the Bulls game, the Timberwolves lost a nail biter of a game that they could have won.
The Target Center, where the Timberwolves play, itself was nice too, not only is it in the heart of downtown Minneapolis, but it is modern, the seats are decently comfortable and there are lots of places to buy beer. Unfortunately, one of the vendors wouldn’t sell me beer, despite a greying beard and receding hairline. Apparently, despite being 36, they can only serve American ID’s. I was pissed off, but decided to try another vendor and had no problems. I grabbed two pricey tall boys in case I ran into trouble again, but was fine the rest of the night, grabbing two each time, even though I was never bothered for my ID again. A pricey... but fun night.
Aside from the Canadian ID fiasco, which was solved rather quickly, the only other problem was that they don’t allow strollers into the game. We walked from our hotel and didn’t have time to walk back. Luckily the security said they’d make an exception, so we took the stroller to the guest services and they checked it for us. So, something to think about if you are going with a baby. As for diaper bags, we brought a big bag with snacks, diapers, milk, etc. and we had no problems despite the bag policy; having a baby allows you to break the rules sometimes.
All in all, it was a great night. The arena was nice, the game was good, and the price was right. To all my Winnipeg readers, I’d definitely recommend a road trip to Minneapolis for a fun and affordable professional sporting event. And, just like I said in my blog discussing the Chicago Bulls game, I second that NBA games are excellent sporting events to bring a baby/toddler or child.
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