Lakers Fans Go Loco... Again

Well, it was an action-packed evening in Downtown Los Angeles tonight, with the E3 Electronics Conference running at the same time as the opening night of the Los Angeles Film Festival, a concert at LA Live and of course the Lakers/Celtics playoffs--all within a two-block radius. The Lakers won narrowly and mayhem ensued. After the riots last year that left the neighborhood worse for wear, the LAPD increased its presence for the game, but jubilant Lakers fans still ran riot around South Park, our old neighborhood by the Staples Center. We've been without TV for more than 6 months now, so we watched the events unfold online, listening to police scanners and live TV feeds from ABC and Fox. We can hear the helicopters hovering over the skyline, while we watch the images they're transmitting, which is all very surreal. We watched in dismay as hoods jumped on cars, trying to tip them or setting them on fire. We actually saw a taxi explode as people watched on. The helicopters are still hovering and what could have been a jubilant night for Los Angeles has instead turned sour again. Despite the havoc, there were some nice moments during the game, when Downtown went silent, erupting in cheers whenever the Lakers scored. When they won, the whole town went crazy, with people yelling from their windows and fireworks lighting up the sky. If only it could have stayed at that...