D Magazine intern James Bright went out to Love Field to see the crowd greeting the Dallas Mavericks when they arrived home from a Game 2 victory this afternoon. Below is his story. (Even if you don’t like to read, there’s a bonus video after the jump.)
Fans chanting “beat the Heat” and “it’s our time” were hoping to greet the Mavericks as they arrived from Miami this afternoon at Love Field, but a misunderstanding left the Dallas faithful with only each other to talk to.
Temperatures rose into the mid-90s, and more than 150 people braved the heat and circled a driveway leading to the tarmac as several jets landed and took off from the Mavs’ expected arrival area, but Jason Terry was not among them.
Keller Williams realtor Mandi Gossick said she arrived at 9 a.m. and was disappointed that the team did not pass by the fans.
“Cuban will be hearing a tweet from me,” she said.
Calls to the Mavericks spokesperson Gina Calvert to find out why the Mavericks did not land in the expected area were not returned.
Auto financers Jason Sacher and Aaron Mangabanga were a few members of the crowd who felt the sting of disappointment from the misunderstanding.
“We left in the middle of a big assignment, and now we have to go back to work disappointed,” Sacher said.
Despite the mishap, the Mavericks fans’ love for their team was not shaken.
“We will forgive them if they win the championship,” Mangabanga said.
Communications specialist Thomas Langager faked being ill to grab a chance at seeing the Mavs.
“This is our team and this is our time,” he said.
There was one particular player that Langager, who has been a fan for 36 years, hoped to catch a glimpse of.
“I wanted to see our streaking Puerto Rican, J.J. Barea,” he said.
Retired Gulf Airstream employee Richard Ellis had some advice for the Western Conference Champions that he was unfortunately not able to give.
“No more Mr. Nice Guy,” he said. “They need to let the Heat know who’s running this city.”
Gossick said she would actually like to see the Mavs lose a game in Dallas.
“I want the Mavs to win it in six,” she said. “It would be a nice redemption to go back to Miami and win there.”
Although her loyalty wasn’t shaken, Gossick said she is going to be a little more hesitant about coming out to events such as today’s.
“I won’t come out again unless it’s something official,” she said.
