There is a fever sweeping the South Bay lesbian community. I have become an unwitting victim of this opportunistic fever, which strikes every week or so, sometimes more often. Week after week, this phenomenon inspires lesbians to emerge from their home, leaving children and pets unattended for hours. They are headed to the San Jose Lasers game, in pursuit of expensive food and drink, and the chance to cheer at the top of their lungs. On Friday, November 7, I found myself among this crowd, watching the Lasers take on the Portland Power. The game had so many ups and downs that I felt trapped inside the HBO commercial where the cable repairman is up on the pole, connecting and disconnecting the wire as the crowd alternately ahhs in relief and frustration. One minute I was up as the ball was stolen and the Lasers headed for an easy lay-up, the next minute my hopes were dashed as the ball bounced out of the rim and into the opposition's hands. The Lasers pulled off an exhilarating and exhausting 79-71 victory, which was greeting with a standing ovation from the crowd.

As a member of that crowd, I was filled with pride as my team pulled off another victory. I've been a member of many different sports crowds, but I am drawn to the Lasers because it is the only crowd where I've truly felt that I was a part of the experience, not just money in someone's pocket. There's something almost magical about the American Basketball League (ABL) that goes far beyond a basketball game. With the continuing success of the ABL, women athletes are able to pursue a career in sports other than the previous options, coaching or appearing as the musclebound, bikini-clad American Gladiators. The ABL could be just the beginning of a world where women's sports are held in the same regard as men's. ABL games hold the thrill of knowing that the women on the court are being recognized for their skills as basketball players above anything else. A new chapter in the history of women's sports is being written as these women are able to make a decent living playing their sport, and I am proud to support their efforts.

I began my career as a Lasers fan quite by accident, as some friends offered me a last minute seat to this season's opener. I had been to one game last year, but wasn't impressed enough to make a conscious effort to return. The San Jose Arena was not packed, but full enough to show a depth of support that I'd never seen before. The crowd filled the Arena with noise far greater than when I'd seen my previous love, the Dallas Mavericks, play the Golden State Warriors there. Maybe it's because the NBA has been around for 51 years, and we all know how inflated the players' salaries have become in recent years is causing enthusiasm to wane. The notion of teamwork that helped to found the NBA has fallen by the wayside, instead becoming a league of hotshot individuals league of hotshot individuals with the best dunk to entice the most lucrative sponsors. The ABL is a completely different, more exciting game, based on the notion of teamwork and cooperation rather than showboating. It's more important to the Lasers' Jennifer Azzi that her teammates have the chance to score more often than she does. She will wait at the top of the key for a teammate to become open long before she will take a shot herself. While Azzi's brand of devotion is occasionally seen in the NBA, it is more of the exception than the rule. The ABL's breed of teamwork is what leads teams, not individuals, to greatness and success as well as creating a game that's far more interesting to watch.

I attend the Lasers games filled with the utmost respect for that teamwork. Each game is an experience like no other, full of passion, excitement and of course, lesbians. I imagine that the games are like the minor leagues in small towns, where the whole town turns out to cheer on the local favorites and build upon their sense of community. The mood changes with each pass, basket and missed shot, yet our devotion remains the same. Even if our team doesn't win, each game is a victory in and of itself, for we are there cheering on our women professional athletes.

For more information about the ABL and the San Jose Lasers click on their names or call (408) 271-1500.