Olympic Moments: Watching Yao Ming & China Play in Front of Home Crowd

FanHouse blogger Enrico Campitelli Jr. is on the scene in Beijing for the 2008 Olympics.

The very first Olympic event I had the pleasure of attending couldn't have been a more amazing experience. At the games an entire culture has waited 100 years for, their biggest sporting icon took center court yesterday to try and show the supportive Chinese fans inside Beijing Olympic Basketball Gymnasium and all across China a win.

Pau Gasol and his gang of offensive Spaniards allowed China to build up a fairly comfortable lead at the end of the third quarter and into much of the fourth but the host nation couldn't get things going in the fourth and Spain sliced through the exhausted Chinese squad like a chef's knife through a Peking Duck. (Thank you, thank you. I'll be here all week, try the mutton!)

FanHouse already covered most of the on-the-court action of the most exciting basketball match of the 2008 games, so after the jump I take a look at the atmosphere along with photos and a video of the impressive Chinese fans.

An example of the cheering that went on:


The tickets for basketball events at the Beijing Olympics get you in to watch two games. The warm up to China vs. Spain's headliner was Germany vs. Greece. Due to scheduling conflicts we showed up late in the third quarter just in time to see Dirk Nowitzki enjoy the remaining portion of the game from the bench. Greece looked dominant as Germany looked lost. It was ugly.

With security getting into the facility being rather thorough, I wondered how the Greek contingent present somehow smuggled a large drum into the arena to lead the Greeks in cheer.

China vs. Spain

Much like many of the events at the Beijing Olympics, the lower spectator portion of the arena (sponsor tickets) was not full and the public was packed to the brim. There were hundreds of Chinese flags with a handful or so of Spanish flags mixed in.

We were lucky enough to stumble upon some killer tickets the day before the game putting us in the 19th row behind the basket. I've got another post discussing tickets in Beijing in the works.

The venue the game was played at had a unique façade that gave it the look of a top-notch facility. The inside itself was rather unremarkable yet very clean and adequate with concession stands that offered a hotdog-like sausage on a stick without a bun. We think there was supposed to be a bun but they were sold out. Do not recommend. Go for the ice cream instead.

The Chinese showed their support in force making up a guestimated 85% of the crowd. Being a bitter Philly fan, I was impressed with their fervor and support. China's early and consistent performance likely contributed greatly to the cheering. I'm told they get awfully quiet when their team is facing defeat early.

The actual cheer they do isn't very creative with the same chant being used over and over (not that I understand what they're saying but it's simply repetitive.). I'm told its literal translation means "add gas" to give the team some extra fire.

You might be better of giving them one of those hotdogs.

Overall the fans were great and made the game a blast to be at. I was hoping China could pull this one out to give the locals a thrill.

There were some goofy timeout cheerleaders and fans dancing to get on the big screen just like an NBA game. One mascot on stilts took a header into the hard wood that I totally thought would have killed the person under the costume – assuming the Chinese do use people in their costumes, yes?

So the game itself was a barnburner with China coming seconds away from making the nation of a billion happy. They looked exhausted in the fourth and had nothing left in OT. Spain's speed took over and China basketball ended the day with their second loss in as many games.

China took the loss and their chances of medaling in hoops have faded but their love for Yao, Kobe, and the sport of basketball is astounding.

If you're reading this and you'd like to hook me up with some tickets to the basketball medal games, I'll give you my first-born -- only if she's a female, of course.

Kidding!