Wrecks and Restoration:
My Favorite Books
“Traveling” by John E. Nordahl (1995)
Preface: My writing career is a salvage yard of wrecks and restorations, with lots of discarded junk and half-finished projects, mixed in with a few classics. One unfinished project I never hope to complete is reading and then writing about the books I love. Today is Chapter 2 of a what I’ll call “a new re-discovery,” pulling books from my shelves that were vitally important to me, along with some explanation as to why they had a strong influence upon my life.
TRAVELING: THREE MONTHS ON THE NBA ROAD
Fittingly, today’s book rediscovery begins with a story.
Years ago, I was working an event at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas where I met a casino floorman named John Nordahl. We began talking and he told me he’d written a book about basketball.
Huh? Really?
Naturally, I wanted to hear more — and learn more.
The next day, Nordahl brought me a copy of his book, titled Traveling: Three Months on the Road.
This was a 300-page, story-packed, travel dairy with personal visits to every NBA city and each arena. In the middle of the 1993-94 basketball season, the author put his life on hold and then traveled around the country to attend games in the home arenas of every NBA team. Then, he wrote about his experiences and observations. If there’s such a thing as “living vicariously” through another fan (and writer), it was Nordahl taking his dream sports vacation and then sharing it with us. Most fans would love to do the ultimate road trip, but we lack the time and money. Thankfully, we have books like this.
Nordahl did it all. He went to tailgating parties, when and where they broke out. He wrote about the quirky logistics of all the old NBA shrines (most of them now demolished). He wrote about how fans were quite different in every NBA city, each with their own oddities and characteristics. He wrote about failed team marketing promotions, strange halftime shows, embarrassing moments that never appeared on SportsCenter, inevitable travel disasters, celebrity sightings, great games he witnessed, blowouts, lost hotel reservations, bad last-minute meals, thrilling overtime victories, and impromptu conversations with hard core basketball fanatics. He essentially lived the (fan) life of an NBA player, traveling around the U.S. just like the pros.
There are many gems in Nordahl’s book. One of my personal favorites was his story of the dead-winter visit to the Capital Center, in suburban Landover, Maryland, the home of the (then) Washington Bullets. I remember the “Cap Center” as a 16,000-seat shitbox. The greedy owner (Abe Pollin) not only stuck an NBA team way outside the District in a soulless arena that was difficult to get to. He also intentionally positioned the home of his NBA team far away from the city Metro (subway) or any public transit. That required all the fans fans to drive and park, which was the only option to see a game. In addition to hoarding all the gate receipts and concessions (there were no restaurants or bars anywhere near within walking distance), Pollin and the Bullets also raked in all the parking revenue. The Cap Center was a horrible experience.
The author described this terrible parking situation, which often created long lines to get into the lot. At the front entrance, where cars must pay, he saw a burned out automobile that seemed more appropriate for a junkyard (or a war zone). Apparently, this junk heap didn’t quite make the tipoff. If only that car could speak and tell its sad story. So, the hunk of discolored metal just sat there in front of the Cap Center, left to rust. Nordahl noted this old car was the perfect symbol of the dysfunctional Bullets, the horrors of the Cap Center, and Pollin’s inept ownership. Total neglect.
After the NBA season ended, Nordahl happened to be back in the Washington area again. This was several months after the season ended and his travels were done. Purely a coincidence, Nordahl went to another event at the Cap Center. He drove to the entrance to park and……there it was. The rusted car was still there. The ultimate anti-welcome sign.
Yeah, Traveling was/is just a “sports book.” But it was also so much more. It’s just as much about culture, economics, and especially — people.
I’ve never been a huge NBA fan, aside from wagering on games. However, I was thoroughly entertained by Nordahl’s book from start to finish. And, I never would have heard of it or read it had it not been for a chance encounter years later in Las Vegas and his sharing the book with me.