# Halftime at the Pacers-Wizards game: he went down on one knee and she ran! **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [February 24, 2004, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/halftime-at-the-pacers-wizards-game-he-went-down-on-one-knee-and-she-ran/230929 "2004-02-24T17:16:25Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2004, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/halftime-at-the-pacers-wizards-game-he-went-down-on-one-knee-and-she-ran/230929/1 "2004-02-24T17:16:25Z")
[http://www.nbc10.com/news/2867953/detail.html](http://www.nbc10.com/news/2867953/detail.html) > [@](#): > > The apparent proposal came at the end of a halftime contest on the Wizards home court Saturday night. > > The woman was blindfolded, sent out on the court, and told if she could find a local bank’s mascot, she would win free Wizards tickets. > > As the crowd yelled “hot” and “cold,” the woman roamed the court for about 10 seconds. > > Then, as she found and touched the bank mascot, she was told she won the contest. > > However, the public address announcer said there was a surprise. > > The man appeared from the bank mascot’s costume, grabbed a microphone and then got down on one knee. > > As he began to speak to the woman, she paused and grabbed her face in shock. > > Then, as the crowd expected the man to pop question, the woman turned away from the man, and sprinted full speed across the basketball court. ---
**Author:** ![Avarie537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/48db29/32.png) [@Avarie537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Avarie537)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2004, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/halftime-at-the-pacers-wizards-game-he-went-down-on-one-knee-and-she-ran/230929/2 "2004-02-24T17:29:26Z")
I don’t know whether I should laugh or feel sorry for the guy! I guess I’ll do both. tee hee hee! ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2004, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/halftime-at-the-pacers-wizards-game-he-went-down-on-one-knee-and-she-ran/230929/3 "2004-02-24T17:35:31Z")
You left out the best part! > [@](#): > > But the stunt surprised the groaning crowd as a message saying, “She said No!” appeared on the arena’s scoreboard. ---
**Author:** ![nineiron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/e56c9b/32.png) [@nineiron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nineiron)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2004, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/halftime-at-the-pacers-wizards-game-he-went-down-on-one-knee-and-she-ran/230929/4 "2004-02-24T17:36:56Z")
Anyone who proposes in such a ridiculous manner deserves to be shot down and humiliated. It’s a private moment that thousands of basketball fans don’t need or want to be a part of. Tacky, tacky, tacky. Still, bummer for him. ---
**Author:** ![Jenaroph](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e8c25b/32.png) [@Jenaroph](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jenaroph)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2004, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/halftime-at-the-pacers-wizards-game-he-went-down-on-one-knee-and-she-ran/230929/5 "2004-02-24T18:22:47Z")
I don’t think proposing HAS to be a private affair; some people revel in the attention, and everyone viewing gets to go “Awwww!” or “bah humbug” depending on their own views. To each his own. But if he doesn’t know her well enough to know she’d react unfavorably to a big public basketball arena proposal, he probably proposed too soon. ---
**Author:** ![ElwoodCuse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/edb3f5/32.png) [@ElwoodCuse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElwoodCuse)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2004, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/halftime-at-the-pacers-wizards-game-he-went-down-on-one-knee-and-she-ran/230929/6 "2004-02-24T18:39:36Z")
"But the stunt surprised the groaning crowd as a message saying, “She said No!” appeared on the arena’s scoreboard. " Shenanigans. This had to be fake. If it was real and they put that on the scoreboard he’d be suing people left and right. I have to say, though, these mascot stunts are getting more and more daring. Remember the birthday girl who got a face full of cake when the mascot delivering it “tripped”? Boy, there sure were a lot of empty seats around her… :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![Toddly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/22d042/32.png) [@Toddly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Toddly)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2004, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/halftime-at-the-pacers-wizards-game-he-went-down-on-one-knee-and-she-ran/230929/7 "2004-02-24T18:54:42Z")
I guess that answered his question. That’s embarassing for both of them if it wasn’t some sort of setup. I have wondered when I see public proposals how many people change their minds after the being in the spotlight. ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2004, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/halftime-at-the-pacers-wizards-game-he-went-down-on-one-knee-and-she-ran/230929/8 "2004-02-24T20:48:23Z")
A former co-worker of mine was getting serious with his girl friend and they were discussing the possibility of marriage. He was sent to Asia for a month on a business trip and two weeks into it she had a couple of A.M. radio DJs wake him up and harass him about not popping the question before he left. One of the first things he did when he got home was dump her. Haj ---
**Author:** ![AskNott](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asknott/32/5790_2.png) [@AskNott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AskNott)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2004, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/halftime-at-the-pacers-wizards-game-he-went-down-on-one-knee-and-she-ran/230929/9 "2004-02-24T21:27:12Z")
For the hapless suitor, I have to say, “What balls he had.” For the fair maid who spurns him, I say, “She’s really got ovaries! You go, girl!” How dare he take such a tender moment out in front of tens of thousands of strangers. Watta maroon! ---
**Author:** ![Snooooopy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ee7513/32.png) [@Snooooopy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snooooopy)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2004, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/halftime-at-the-pacers-wizards-game-he-went-down-on-one-knee-and-she-ran/230929/10 "2004-02-24T21:48:44Z")
I’m surprised the scoreboard didn’t show REJECTED!!! Did the Wizards try to sign her before the second half started? They could use someone who can reject a few shots. ---
**Author:** ![theR](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/977dab/32.png) [@theR](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/theR)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2004, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/halftime-at-the-pacers-wizards-game-he-went-down-on-one-knee-and-she-ran/230929/11 "2004-02-24T22:29:47Z")
You guys know there is a video link on that page, right? You can see the whole thing. I saw this on Fark yesterday, and a couple people who said they were at the game also said that it was indeed a publicity stunt and acknowledged to be so by the announcer or someone later in the game. I still haven’t found any other confirmation of that other than comments on Fark, though. ---
**Author:** ![nineiron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/e56c9b/32.png) [@nineiron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nineiron)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2004, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/halftime-at-the-pacers-wizards-game-he-went-down-on-one-knee-and-she-ran/230929/12 "2004-02-25T16:06:29Z")
Well, if it was a stunt (which now that I know about the “She said no!” on the jumbotron, I’d assume it was), I take back my earlier “how tacky” comments and replace them with “how silly.” I guess it’s on the same level (a set-up made to look spontaneous) as when the fake “groundscrew” at some ballparks will “spontaneously” start dancing to “YMCA” as they “work.” Man, I hate wanky stuff like that. Play the damn ball game and that’s all. No Macarena, no YMCA, no shooting t-shirts into the crowd. I’ll give you a “Take Me Out to the Ballgame,” but that’s all. ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2004, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/halftime-at-the-pacers-wizards-game-he-went-down-on-one-knee-and-she-ran/230929/13 "2004-02-25T16:11:49Z")
Great, so now life, rather than imitating art imitates Jamie Kennedy. ---
**Author:** ![AngelicGemma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/439d5e/32.png) [@AngelicGemma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AngelicGemma)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2004, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/halftime-at-the-pacers-wizards-game-he-went-down-on-one-knee-and-she-ran/230929/14 "2004-02-25T16:55:33Z")
You’d think if the guy knew her well enough to propose, then he should know if she’d hate been proposed to in public. Still, I DO feel sorry for the guy.